Clouded Emotions
by Biscuit15
Summary: After a family breakdown, Hibari goes to live with his uncle, Fon. Fon tries to teach him kindness, knowing it's something Hibari doesn't possess towards others. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**This isn't my usual genre of writing, but I needed a change of pace. Please critique me so I can make sure I'm on the right track. **

When Fon arrived at his sibling's home one cold afternoon in order to pick his nephew up, it wasn't surprising to find that the raven-haired skylark was locked away in his bedroom as usual; if his nephew ever did come out of his bedroom, he had never been there to witness such a miracle. The younger's pet bird was nestled in his soft locks as he moved his hedgehog from the floorboards up to the mattress of his bed before his dark eyes fixed on Fon and an agitated sneer crossed the sixteen-year-old's face. His fingers twitched once they had ever-so-gently dropped the hedgehog onto the light blue comforter, and an uncomfortable aura surrounded him; Fon's nephew never _had _been good with people – even family – intruding on his personal space.

"Kyouya, are your parents not home?" Fon's voice was as gentle as ever. His hands were hidden beneath the silky red sleeves of his hanfu in a sign that he meant no harm; sometimes it was hard for his nephew to not feel so on edge when other people were around.

The teenager named Kyouya shrugged before he lifted his hand to his head and extended a finger to invite his fluffy yellow bird onto his digit. "I haven't heard any fighting, so I assume they are not."

"Would you like to stay until they come home so you can say goodbye?" The man stepped further into the room. He looked around at the traditional Japanese bedroom, finding that only a few personal belongings seemed to have been packed; a single bag rested against the wall, along with a bird cage and a small pet carrier.

"No." Kyouya looked up at his uncle before he moved to his belongings. He slung the strap of the shoulder bag over his body before he coaxed the bird into the cage. He made sure the door was secure before he picked it and the pet carrier up and took them over to the bed so that he could rest his hedgehog in the towel he had placed inside. "I want to leave now."

Fon understood; he knew his nephew's family had been falling apart for years now, and the effect it had had on Kyouya was devastating. Now that a divorce had been finalised after all this time, the martial artist had taken it upon himself to get the boy out of it all, just glad he had finally received permission to do so; he didn't like conflict, and he hated the idea of leaving his beloved nephew in the midst of it.

"Let me take that for you." Fon took the bird cage from the younger so that Kyouya was only carring his bag and pet carrier; he wanted to make sure the student was happy, after all. "Is there anywhere you'd like to go before we get to my home? Some lunch, perhaps?"

"No." Without a word, Kyouya was gone.

Fon sighed to himself before he, too, started to leave the house; there was no point sticking around when Kyouya's parents may not even come back in the first place; he may as well just get the boy to his home where he could start trying to build a better future for the younger – the man could only imagine where the teenager would have wound up had he not intervened; Kyouya was already on a _very _slippery path as it was, especially with his peers.

_Now that he's out of such a negative environment, he should hopefully start to calm down. _Fon nodded to himself at the thought, knowing that he was doing the best thing for his nephew by getting him away from this.

_**~~XX~~**_

When Fon parked his car in the driveway, Kyouya waited until the vehicle had been turned off before he exited. He was silent as he carried his belongings to the front door and stared at the well-maintained garden as he waited for his uncle to unlock the door.

"It's been a while since you were here last." Fon looked over the front lawn. His expression softened as he took in the neatly-trimmed grass and the blooming flowers against the white picket fence that surrounded his property; it was serenity in its most natural form. "The garden wasn't nearly as full of life back then as it is now. You should have come to visit more often, nephew."

"…" Kyouya walked into the house once the front door swung open, and he found himself in an entrance hall he hadn't stepped foot in since he was but a small child; had his family problems really been going on for so long?

"Let me show you to your room." Fon took the first doorway on the right and lead his nephew into the spare bedroom. He waited for the smaller male to stand beside him before he said, "My room is just next door. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask me. I've already bought you some clothing; it's in the wardrobe. Please help yourself to anything you wish; this is your home now, too."

The skylark looked around his new room. There was a single bed pressed against the far wall and a wardrobe next to the doorway. A desk was pressed against the large wall window where it overlooked the street outside. A smaller window rested above the bed, where it looked out into the spacious backyard full of gardens as lively as the one out front. A laptop rested on top of the desk, one that Fon must have bought for him as the older male didn't care much for such technology. A large, albeit empty bookshelf took up the entire wall across from the furnishings, Fon knowing just how much the younger liked to read.

Kyouya felt comfortable with this simple setup; it wasn't something magnificent, and was well-suited to his interests. He nodded to his uncle before he moved towards the desk where he sat the pet carrier on it and opened the gate so that he could reach in and let his hedgehog out to explore its new home

"Where shall I put Hibird, Kyouya?" Fon was still carrying the bird cage, but he didn't mind in the least; he enjoyed listening to it chirp its owner's name.

"You can let him out." Kyouya slipped his bag off his shoulder and dropped it onto the swivel chair tucked beneath the desk. He opened it so that he could take out his neatly-folded clothing and sit them on top of the pet carrier. There were no other personal items in the bag; Kyouya didn't need anything but his pets to be content.

Fon did as instructed and let the bird fly free. He smiled as it immediately headed for soft black locks once again and nestled in against the skylark's hair. He placed the cage down by the door before he backed out with a soft smile on his face. "I'm going to make some lunch now. Please, make yourself at home."

Kyouya nodded. He moved to sit on the edge of the bed and listened to the soft thud of the door closing before he looked out of the window to watch as cars passed by every now and then. It was peaceful here, and he no longer had to worry about the silence being broken by fighting.

With a sigh, the skylark lay down on his side and closed his eyes as he took a nap; it wouldn't do to get used to this new environment if he were too tired to enjoy it, after all.


	2. Chapter 2

As always, Kyouya was up bright and early to start off his day of school. He had left his new bedroom silently, Hibird nestled in his raven locks comfortably. The teenager hadn't been expecting for his uncle to be up and about already, used to being the only one up by now back when he had been living with his parents – but alas, here Fon was, standing by the counter as he prepared breakfast for them both.

"Good morning, Kyouya." Fon smiled down at his nephew, dragging the kitchen knife through a large tuna with practised ease. "Did you sleep well?"

Kyouya nodded, taking a seat at the small round table tucked away in the corner. He looked out of the wall-size window, seeing that it was still dark outside, a few morning joggers passing by every now and then. "I slept fine."

"That's good." The man was soft-spoken as he conversed with his nephew every now and then, letting the other have a bit of a break instead of forcing him to participate in full-blown conversations; Kyouya was a solitary person, liking his own space – there was nothing more he hated than being forced to socialise.

The skylark was relieved that his uncle could respect his personal boundaries, and when he was accepting the plate that was being handed to him just a minute later, he couldn't believe how long it had been since he had last had someone cook for him; he had grown so used to fending for himself, it felt foreign to be grabbing his meal from someone else.

"If it's not to your liking, I can always cook something else for you." The older male sat across from Kyouya, his own meal in front of him. He smiled softly as he grabbed his chopsticks, eating calmly as he waited for the teenager's reply.

Kyouya nibbled at his sushi before his eyes slipped closed, accepting of the culinary skill it had taken to make this meal as good as it was; it was better than his own cooking, and he considered himself to be great at it. "It is passable."

"That's good, then." Fon waited a few more minutes before he spoke again, giving the smaller male time to himself. "Will you fix up the guardianship details at school for me today, please? I have plans with my girlfriend."

Kyouya nodded, his dark eyes coming to fix on the man. He wasn't completely sure why his uncle would bother making plans with his girlfriend, because he sincerely doubted they would last – he had never met aforementioned girlfriend before, nor did he know much at all about her, but he didn't have high hopes for relationships, one of the main reasons he didn't want to date anyone.

"Would you like to meet her today?" Fon waited patiently, knowing not to push the Prefect's limits.

"No. Not really." Kyouya pushed his plate away at this question, feeling sickened by the idea of having a partner; he was happy by himself, and he didn't need _anyone _to change that. "I don't see the point in dating herbivores."

"Why's that, Kyouya?" Ever-so-calmly, Fon listened to the explanation.

"Because all it does is cause conflict." Standing up from the table, Kyouya made to leave for his bedroom again. "There is no love in relationships; just hate."

"I can assure you that is not the case between us." The older male could appreciate his nephew's stance on dating, knowing what he had seen between his own parents. "Haven't you ever wanted to kiss someone before?"

Kyouya's face paled as he shook his head, feeling physically ill. "The thought of having someone's tongue in my mouth revolts me, uncle."

"Well, you're only young," the Chinese male pointed out. "I'm sure that's subject to change when you're older."

"I doubt it." With that said, Kyouya was gone.

Fon continued eating calmly, mulling over his nephew's words; he knew not to rush anything and instead to give it time, but he would like to help show Kyouya that not every relationship would turn out like his parents'.

Back in his bedroom, Kyouya changed out of his pyjamas and instead into his school uniform. He draped his black jacket over his shoulders before moving to pack his school books into his bag, wondering how long it would take him to walk to school from here; he usually left early back at his parents' home in order to get there half-an-hour before the bell, but he wasn't sure of the distance between his school and his uncle's house.

"Maybe I should leave after I brush my teeth to time it." Kyouya's dark orbs were fixed on his hedgehog, the creature ambling around on the floor by the desk. A hint of a smile crossed his face as he moved to pick the hedgehog up, holding it carefully so that he didn't prick his fingers. "What do you think, Roll?"

The creature didn't make any sort of reply, but Kyouya didn't mind; he loved his two pets deeply, and just being by them brought him comfort. Putting the hedgehog back down on the ground, Kyouya made his way to the bathroom.

"Kyouya?"

The teenager turned on the spot at his name, finding Fon standing in the entrance of the hallway, as kind as ever as he tucked his hands into his sleeves.

"Would you like for me to drop you off at school today?" Fon knew not to expect much, but he offered anyway; no matter how long it would take, he had to show his nephew that kindness _did _exist – most importantly, he had to teach the younger how to utilise it himself.

With a shake of his head, Kyouya continued on into the bathroom, grabbing his toothbrush and toothpaste. He wasn't sure why his uncle had offered to take him, but he didn't need for the other to do so; he was quite capable of walking, and it was something he had long-since grown used to doing – nothing had to change now, not when it would probably go back to the way it had been previously, anyway.

_**~~XX~~**_

As it turned out, Fon's home was a bit further away from the school than Kyouya's parents' house was; the teenager hadn't arrived at school until ten minutes to the bell.

Pushing his way through the crowds that obnoxiously blocked the hallways, Kyouya had to use every bit of resistance he had in him to not whip out his two tonfa and start clearing them out himself; he couldn't stand people crowding him, it making him so distressed, he felt physically sick.

The skylark was quick to come across the same three herbivores he always seemed to have run-ins with, a small, timid brunet named Tsunayoshi and his two followers – well, one was like a follower, and Kyouya often wondered if the other one was an overprotective puppy in disguise, his metaphorical tail wagging every time he spoke to Tsunayoshi but hating everyone else around him.

"Hibari-san…" Tsuna blinked as he backed away, putting distance between them wisely. He wasn't sure what they had been pulled up for this time, but it was no secret that, as head of the Disciplinary Committee, Kyouya often 'disciplined' people for such petty reasons, such as their eyebrows being 'against school regulations' – whatever that meant.

"Herbivore, why is there a tear in your jacket?" Kyouya's dark eyes lingered on the pale brown uniform jacket, disgusted to find it in such poor condition; there should be no reason for even the _slightest _tear to appear in any of the uniform components.

"U-umm…" Tsuna laughed nervously as he looked to his two friends, almost begging them for help. "See, we were walking to school this morning, and… well, the neighbourhood dog chased me again and I fell over… It must have gotten caught on something and ripped. I'm _very _sorry, Hibari-san; I'll have it fixed tonight and it won't happen again!"

"See to it that it doesn't." Kyouya went to leave the trio and continue on to his office for quiet time, but his sharp gaze quickly caught sight of the other Italian transfer student that tended to hang around Tsunayoshi. The skylark wasn't on good terms _at all _with the other, instead a mutual dislike hung between them.

"Why is he in such a bad mood?" Kyouya fingered the handle of one of his tonfa, ready to hit some sense into the blond boy who was shoving people out of his way with vulgar words accompanying his actions.

Tsuna blinked before he and his friends turned to see who the Prefect was talking about, only to sigh as they caught sight of their seemingly-bipolar blond friend named Belphegor who had moved from Italy with his adoptive parent a few months back.

The brunet blushed as he avoided all eye contact with Kyouya, instead reaching up to scratch at his cheek as he tried to explain things as delicately as possible. "He said that… umm… W-well… His boyfriend… doesn't… want to, umm… d-do… _things_ anymore…"

Kyouya blinked, processing these words. "He is in a foul mood because he is not getting sex?"

Tsuna squeaked, his blush darkening. He nodded, whispering, "Pretty much…"

Kyouya didn't understand this; why would someone want to value something so disgusting to the point they became moody if they didn't get it? Sexual relationships were as foul to him as kissing was, if not more so; he couldn't stomach the idea of someone touching him in a friendly manner, much less intimately – his body parts were _his, _and he didn't want _anyone _touching them.

"I'm going to bite that herbivore to death for such petty reasoning to be starting fights in school." With that said, Kyouya had grabbed his tonfa and moved after a raging blond.

When Kyouya caught up to Belphegor seconds later, the other students scurrying out of the way as they knew what was coming, the blond turned around with a sneer on his face; he was one of the handful of students who wasn't scared of the Prefect and was willing to fight him.

"What do _you _want?" Belphegor dropped his bag to the ground, his mouth twisting into an agitated frown. His eyes were hidden behind his long golden bangs, but Kyouya knew he was being glared at; this boy was volatile, quiet and withdrawn one moment, and then aggressive the next.

"The Sawada herbivore told me why you're in a bad mood, and I have to say that I will not let you use such a ridiculous thing as a reason for your behaviour."

Belphegor snorted before he took a step forward. "Don't act like you know anything _about _it."

"I don't think I _want _to know because I truly do not care." Kyouya stood his ground, as calm as ever. He ignored the subtle flinch the other rewarded him with, knowing it wasn't any of his concern if the other was hurt by his words.

"Keep your nose out of my business or Squalo will come down to the school again," the blond threatened. "He'll kick your ass."

"And then he will go to prison. I hear all the rumours that say you're a genius, but you really don't think things through, do you?"

The older male made a strangled noise that sounded suspiciously like a mix between a hiss and a snarl before he came closer again, his body tense as he balled his hand into a fist and made to punch the skylark. His attack was dodged, retaliated with a sharp smack to both his jaw and his face with the two tonfa Kyouya had pulled out of nowhere. He shouted profanities as he recoiled, holding his face for a few seconds before he lunged again, only to have the same thing happen to him.

"Belphegor!" Tsunayoshi and his two friends had ran to the fight, the brunet getting in between the oldest two as his silver-haired friend, Hayato, stood by his side. The tallest of the trio, a dark-haired male named Takeshi, pulled the blond back, talking softly to him in order to calm him down.

"That's enough, Hibari-san…" Though Tsuna was clearly nervous of standing up to the Prefect like this, he wasn't going to let his friend get hurt; not by someone who could be as relentless as Kyouya when he got it through his head that he was defending the peace of Namimori. "He's already having a bad day; you don't need to make it worse for him… We'll take him to his classroom and make sure he doesn't get into any more trouble…"

Kyouya glared for a few seconds before he put distance between them, agreeing only because he knew the brunet would keep his word out of fear of being bitten to death. "You'll all be punished if he acts out of line again today."

Tsuna nodded as he turned around, reaching out to cup Belphegor's face that was swelling at a rapid pace, hints of bruising already setting in; he must have been hit a lot harder than it had appeared.

"It's okay, Belphegor."

Kyouya watched in silence as the trio got their friend to his feet, leading him down the corridor.

"I want to go home…"

"I know, Belphegor…"

"I didn't even want to come to school today…"

"I know."

"I want to go home… Please…"

The conversation soon faded from Kyouya's hearing, but the only thing he felt was relief that he had put a stop the blond's delinquent behaviour before it got any worse today; that student was _always _in fights, constantly suspended for them and verbally abusing teachers on a daily basis.

If it were up to Kyouya, he'd have just kicked the other out of the school for good and never look back on his decision; he hated Belphegor more than a lot of the other students, and _that _was saying something.


	3. Chapter 3

When Kyouya returned home after school, he was angered to hear that his uncle's soft voice was accompanied by a female one; he had already said he didn't want to meet Fon's girlfriend, and yet, here she was anyway – why was this?

Stepping into the living room, Kyouya's dark eyes fixed on an indigo-haired female seated on the couch next to Fon, her long tresses falling down her face and resting against her chest. She wore baggy black clothing, hiding her frame, her hood only just revealing violet orbs beneath it.

"Kyouya." Fon smiled at his nephew as he gestured to his female guest. "This is Viper, my girlfriend. Viper, this is Kyouya."

"It's Mammon." The woman was quiet, her violet eyes showing no hint as to what she was feeling. She corrected her boyfriend on her preferred name, hating to be referred to by her given name; Fon was one of the few who still called her Viper, and it irked her.

The skylark didn't make any sign of acknowledgement towards whom he viewed as a trespasser; he instead glared at his uncle, saying, "I thought she would have been gone by the time I came home."

"We were having a cup of tea together, Kyouya." Fon's gentle gaze drifted over to the coffee table before them, two mugs of steaming hot tea awaiting them. "Viper may leave whenever she wishes; not because you ask her to. I understand you may not be comfortable around her just yet, but she is entitled to my home just as much as you, Kyouya."

The teenager's cold gaze swept between the adults for several seconds before he sneered and turned around, heading back to his bedroom. He closed the door quietly behind him, as organised as ever as he dropped his schoolbag by his desk and removed his books to sit them on the hardwood. Hibird chirped happily as he flew from his cage, landing on the skylark's shoulder.

"Can you believe that herbivore?" Kyouya reached up, scratching beneath the bird's beak as he looked around for Roll. "Coming in here and acting like she owns the place. I should bite her to death."

"Hibari! Hibari!" The bird nuzzled his face against Kyouya's cheek, chirping again in joy. The animal's gentle actions were enough to soothe his owner, the skylark never able to say angry when he was around his pet's happy chirping.

Quickly organising his desk, Kyouya sat down at the desk, getting stuck in to his homework; he needed a distraction from the annoyance swirling around his head. Hibird eventually nestled himself in against raven locks as he went to sleep, and Roll had been picked up and sat on the desk, the hedgehog watching as his owner worked.

Kyouya wasn't sure how long had passed before his bedroom door opened once again and Fon stepped in.

"What?" Kyouya placed his pen down on the desk, turning to look at his uncle.

"I just thought you might be interested to know that Viper is gone." The man was leaning against the doorframe, his hands tucked away in his hanfu. "She had to go pick her kids up from school."

"She has _kids_?" Though Kyouya appeared as stoic as usual, he was greatly distressed inside; if Viper had kids, and she often came to visit, then she would probably bring said kids with her on occasion where he would have to deal with them. "Are they _yours?" _

"Of course not, Kyouya." Fon laughed softly, as if the thought of this amused him. "They're foster children; she took them in when she was still living in Italy – a friend of hers had asked her to do it."

"I don't like them." Kyouya turned back to his homework, his way of saying that the conversation was over.

"But, Kyouya, you haven't even met them." Fon stepped into the room, sitting down on the younger's bed. He crossed his arms against his chest, his never-ending patience making it easy for him to deal with his nephew. "They're good kids; I think you'd like them."

"No." Flicking his pen through his notebook, Kyouya waved his hand dismissively through the air. "You can leave now."

"Do you want any help with your homework?" The Chinese male stood up, moving to the desk.

"No." Kyouya instinctively tensed at his uncle's proximity, not used to people being so close to him. "I do not need any help with this."

"Did your parents ever sit down and help you?"

"Of course not; they were too busy screaming at each other to care about my studies."

"Then let me help, please." Fon reached out, grabbing the textbook the younger was taking notes from. "I want to show you that I care about how you're going at school."

The skylark was confused by this, so used to the solitude that came with shutting everyone out, he didn't understand the kindness he was being presented with. He soon nodded as he started writing in his notebook again, his uncle simplifying what was important.

It didn't take long at all of discussing with his uncle what he was learning, solidifying his understanding of the topic, for him to start to like this activity; before, being around people was a scary thing for him, but he could make an exception for Fon; the man was so kind and helpful, it was hard to want him to stay away.

"Oh, Kyouya?" Fon turned the page in the textbook, scanning the next couple of paragraphs.

"Hn."

"Viper will be coming over for dinner." Dark eyes didn't miss the way Kyouya visibly tensed, but he continued on anyway. "She'll be bringing her kids with her. Will you please_ try _and get along with them? They've been through a lot."

"That's not my problem." Waiting impatiently for the man to read out more sentences, Kyouya felt his annoyance rising; he would treat herbivores how he wanted – their past was irrelevant to him.

"The older one can give as good as he takes, but the younger boy is fragile." Fon sighed, as if thinking about this upset him. "He'll hide it well, but he's sensitive. _Please _be nice to at least _him_."

"Why?" Kyouya turned to look at his uncle, frustrated by this; why did the subject of herbivores always have to come up between them? "I don't like herbivores."

"Kyouya… This is important to Viper and her foster children, as well as me. I won't ask much of you, but this means a lot to me; please give them both a chance."

Kyouya stared for a few seconds before he turned back to his homework. He moved to grab Roll before the hedgehog walked off the edge of the desk, putting said pet on his lap instead. "I don't like herbivores, uncle – if they put one toe out of line, I'll bite them both to death."

Fon couldn't ask for more; at least Kyouya _would _give it a _try_. Patting raven hair, he smiled. "Thank you, nephew. We'll finish up here and then I will start on dinner. Will you help me?"

Kyouya wanted to say no, to stay in his room alone until the inevitable event, but truth be told, he _was _enjoying spending time with his uncle, and he _would _like to learn how the older male cooked so well.

Standing up from his desk, Kyouya put Roll down on the ground before he carefully moved Hibird to the desk. "I will wash my hands."

Fon was happy, glad that his nephew was slowly starting to trust him; it was something that wouldn't happen overnight, and Fon could respect that.

_**~~XX~~**_

Kyouya sat in the living room that night, watching TV. The couch was seated next to the large window that oversaw the front yard, the curtains drawn. His attention had been grabbed by headlights from a car signalling that his uncle's girlfriend had arrived.

Stretching his arms into the air, Kyouya spread himself out along the couch like a cat, not wanting to get up and greet anyone; he would much rather leave that for his uncle to deal with. However, two minutes later, when a familiar head of blue flashed in his peripheral vision, he found himself jumping from the couch and running into the entrance hall, feeling anger boil inside him at the thought that the one he hated the most was in _his _house.

"Kyouya!" Fon, who had seen his nephew coming, reached out to restrain the younger. Kyouya struggled in his arms, the other seemingly bent on starting a fight.

"Kufufu~" The blue-haired, heterochromatic-eyed teenager that had just entered Kyouya's home smirked as he reached out, poking the other's cheek in a taunting manner. He laughed again as the other bit at his finger, not stopping his prodding until his guardian had slapped his hand away. "What are you doing here, Kyouya?"

"How is that your business, pineapple herbivore?" If Kyouya had his tonfa on him, he'd have beaten the shit out of the taller male, but alas he had to make do with his hands tonight – if his uncle would let go of him, that was. "Get off me, Fon! I'm going to bite him to death!"

"What's gotten into you, Kyouya?" Fon hugged the younger tight to him, his eyes darting between the two teenagers who apparently knew each other already. He was thankful when Mammon asked her two kids to go and sit in the living room, giving him time to talk to Kyouya. He watched as the tallest teenager – Mukuro, Fon knew he was named – wrapped his arm around the teal-haired boy accompanying him, leading the very short male into the living room. "Do you know him?"

Kyouya nodded, still not calm at even the _thought _of the other still in his home. "I want him _gone!_"

"Tell me what's happened between you two." Fon was as calm as ever, knowing the skylark just needed someone to talk to. "Can I do anything to help?"

"I don't need to explain myself to you." Kyouya was stoic as he glared at his uncle. "Just know that I hate _him _more than _anyone_."

Fon was about to question this before his girlfriend spoke up, as quiet as she had been earlier. "Mukuro and Kyouya have conflicted badly in the past; they do not get along. I didn't realise it was _this _Kyouya until I saw their interaction together."

"But _why _have they conflicted previously? I cannot help if I don't understand." Fon threaded slender fingers through the teenager's hair.

"I think they're just too much alike." Mammon held her hand out into the air as if awaiting something. "My information doesn't come cheap."

Fon chuckled as he nodded. "Of course. I'll pay you tonight." Looking down at the Prefect, he then added, "Are you going to be alright during dinner, Kyouya? Would you rather eat in your room tonight?"

"I'm not going to my room to eat because of _them_." Kyouya's eyes narrowed. "This is _my _home and I will do as I please in it."

"I understand that, but I don't want you to be fighting." Fon appreciated the fact it would take a lot of work to deal with Kyouya, and he wasn't going to get mad over something like this – it was part of Kyouya's nature, and he would have to learn to work around it. "What if we send the boys to eat in the living room tonight and you stay with us? Is that acceptable?"

Kyouya nodded, a prideful smirk crossing his face; as long as _he _wasn't losing to the younger guest, he was fine with that.

_**~~XX~~**_

Dinner was uneventful, Fon having been true to his words and separating the three teenagers. Kyouya had been forced to listen to his uncle and his girlfriend talk about things he cared nothing for, but it was better than having to eat with someone he hated so much, so he tolerated it.

Once dinner and dessert had been eaten, the skylark had disappeared back into his own room, having grabbed his new laptop and lying in bed with it. He turned it on, focusing on setting the brand-new PC up, and once it was ready to go just several minutes later, Kyouya had gotten as far as browsing what programs were installed on it before there was a small knock at his door.

Kyouya watched as the door opened, finding the teal-haired boy poking his head into the room; while the Prefect had never actually spoken a word to this kid before, he had often seen him around town with whom he deemed as his arch-nemesis, and sometimes even Tsunayoshi and his band of herbivores. He had also heard the rumours that flew around Namimori Middle, but he took them with a pinch of salt; this boy lived in a neighbouring town called Kokuyo and attended the middle school there, so it was unlikely most of the Namimori students even knew who he was and simply spread around what they had heard for fun.

"What?" Kyouya hated the blank look that was fixed on him, emerald eyes seemingly piercing through him. He felt his body tense, unused to having someone look at him for so long _without _fear.

"Have you seen my Master?" The boy spoke in a monotonous voice, but there was underlying discomfort in his voice, as if he were nervous to be here. "He disappeared again."

"If I _had _seen him, I'd have bitten him to death by now, herbivore." Kyouya turned back to his laptop, making a mental note to go and buy an external mouse; he didn't like the built-in pad the PC had.

"Oh…" The smaller male nodded, taking a step back. "Sorry for disturbing you." He went to close the door, only to stop as the older male spoke to him again.

"You're the blond herbivore's boyfriend, aren't you?" Kyouya's eyes raked over the boy before him. The teal-haired male was nothing special; he was very skinny, and even for a fourteen-year-old, he was small. His hands seemed to have a habit of shaking at random times, and he often fell silent all of a sudden, his eyes taking on a distant look; Kyouya had witnessed this for himself when he had seen the other in town with the herbivorous group.

"Bel-senpai?" A teal head cocked to the side before he nodded.

"What do you see in him?" Kyouya sat up slightly, awaiting an answer; he didn't understand how anyone could want to be with the blond as he was a violent, whiny little brat that always seemed to throw tantrums if he didn't get his own way.

Emerald eyes darted to the side, as if their owner was afraid of having been put on the spot with that question. Speaking in a quiet, uncertain tone that was far different from the rumours Kyouya had heard of this boy being a snarky, sarcastic little shit, the smaller said, "I grew up with Bel-senpai… Master, too… They looked after me when I was little, and I _love _Bel-senpai…"

Kyouya wrinkled his nose up, disgusted to hear of this 'love' thing again. "Your standards are very low, herbivore."

"Maybe so… But he loves me, too…" The younger looked to the ground, his body starting to shake. "Senpai… Senpai helped us go to Mammon so we weren't separated… He got us out of our previous foster's hands… He lived on the streets for years, but when he got adopted, he helped us… I love him, and he loves _me_."

"Fran, what are you doing in here?"

Both Fran and Kyouya turned around at Mukuro's voice, finding the tallest teenager reaching out to pull the boy named Fran out of the room. Heterochromatic eyes glared at Kyouya before the blue-haired male turned his foster brother around and walked him away from the room.

"No need to bother skylarks with your love life, Fran; as long as you're happy, it's all that matters. Kyouya wouldn't care anyway; he shouldn't be sticking his beak where it doesn't belong."

Kyouya had jumped out of bed, ready to pummel the taller male, before he reminded himself that a fight was what the other was looking for, and he didn't want to chance losing in front of his uncle – not like the last time the skinnier male had humiliated him by beating him effortlessly in a fight.

Instead, the skylark got back in his bed, trying to put all of his attention on his laptop. There was just one thing that was bothering him about his conversation with the boy; if what he had said was true and he had been with the two older males for as long as he had… how were they still so close? Shouldn't they have drifted by now? Fought? Anything but be as close as they were?

Sighing to himself, Kyouya decided friendship was something he would probably never come to understand.


	4. Chapter 4

When Kyouya woke up the next morning, he was frustrated to hear movement in the room next to his; Fon's girlfriend had stayed the night and, consequently, so had her foster kids. The skylark could have done without their presence, but no matter what he had said, Fon had insisted it would be fine.

Getting out of bed, Kyouya moved to his closet. He pulled his clothing out for the day, choosing his uniform as he usually did; there wasn't a lot that he liked, but school was one of those very few things.

After fixing his hair, the skylark then moved to the bathroom in order to take care of his teeth. He started to grind said body parts as he heard his arch nemesis' voice from outside of the door, knowing that if he could hold out until his hygiene was looked after, he would have plenty of time to beat the absolute shit out of the taller male at breakfast.

Upon exiting the bathroom and walking into the dining room a few minutes later, Kyouya glared at the unwelcome guests sitting at his table; it should have just been he and his uncle, after all.

"Good morning, Kyouya." Fon, who was standing by the counter, passed a plate of food to his nephew. "Here is your breakfast."

Kyouya accepted the meal, but he narrowed his eyes at the man as he did so. "Why are they still here?"

"Because they have every right to be so, Kyouya."

"Kufufu~" Heterochromatic eyes fixed on the raven-haired male, amusement shining in multi-coloured orbs. "So selfish, Kyouya; let us enjoy this meal - it's good."

"Senpai?"

Kyouya bit back what he wanted to say, instead turning to look at the teal-haired boy sitting next to his enemy.

"Do you just fight with my Master all the time because you like him?" Emerald eyes blinked innocently up at the skylark. "Are you just trying to get him to have sex with you?"

"Oya, Fran; I don't know about Kyouya, but I'm not interested in that just yet." Mukuro smirked at his friend, mismatched eyes glaring at the Prefect, as if daring him to bite back.

Fran nodded. "Then Kyouya-Senpai likes you and that's why he acts like an over-emotional girl on her period whenever he sees you."

Kyouya growled as he moved closer to the younger two, ready to throttle the boy. "I will bite you to death, herbivore."

"Ah, but, Senpai, I already have a boyfriend!" Fran raised his hands into the air, waving them side-to-side. "Please don't come onto me like this; Bel-Senpai will go back on his own period if he knows."

Fon and Mammon looked at each other for a few seconds before they sighed; hopefully they would be able to stop the three from fighting once they all got used to each other and their new arrangements.

"Kyouya, are you going to eat with us today?" Fon pulled out one of the seats around the table, inviting his nephew to join them.

Kyouya was going to say no, but all it took for him to change his mind was another antagonistic comment from the blue-haired male, not wanting to give Mukuro the satisfaction of the other leaving to eat in solitude.

Sitting in between Fon and Fran, Kyouya glared silently at the table as if it were the cause of all his problems, his hands gripping tightly the chopsticks as he tried to control his temper; it wouldn't do to start a fight here in front of Fon, after all.

"Kyouya, last night Viper and I came to a decision." Fon sat next to his girlfriend, as soft as ever.

Kyouya tensed, not sure he wanted to hear this; he could imagine how much he would hate it. "..."

"Viper is going to move in with us." Fon expected the angry glare he received, but he didn't let it get to him; his nephew was just upset.

"So this pineapple herbivore and his frog side-kick are going to be here, too?" Kyouya felt as if he could hit something at this realisation.

"Who are you calling a pineapple, skylark?" Mukuro glared.

"Why does everyone think I'm a frog?" Fran let out a dramatic sigh. "That crazy fake-prince has too much charisma for his fat head."

"They're not staying here." Kyouya shoved his plate away, too disgusted by the idea of sharing his home with someone he hated so much. "Anywhere but here."

"You wound me, Kyouya."

"At least now you only have to go to the next room for when you want to have sex with Master, Kyouya-Senpai."

Kyouya didn't hesitate to pick his plate up and smash it down on top of Fran's head. He caught sight of the way emerald eyes widened in shock before a thin sheet of tears welled up in them, but he didn't care; he was angered beyond belief at the boy's words for a multitude of reason.

Three sets of eyes stared in shock before Fran's sniffing snapped them out of it. Mukuro frowned as he pulled his friend into his arms, patting a teal head gently. He glared at the skylark as Fran let out a sob, whispering in soft French to the youngest.

"Kyouya, why would you - Kyouya, I'm talking to you." Fon stood up, but his nephew was gone.

The man sighed before he moved to Fran's side. He leant down, making sure there was no injury.

Emerald eyes watched the male warily before he sobbed again and buried his face in Mukuro's chest, memories of a past he wished he never had playing through his mind.

Mammon was talking to the blue-haired male, the skylark's actions having dismantled everyone; of everything they could have expected, it wasn't for the teenager to react so badly.

-XX-

When Kyouya returned home that night, he was glad to find that it was only him and his uncle now. The man was sitting in the living room with a novel open on his lap.

"Kyouya?" Fon calmly closed the book as he regarded his nephew. Kyouya was listening to him, but the younger was looking anywhere but at Fon. "Kyouya, what happened this morning?"

"You saw it for yourself, uncle; there's no need to question it." Kyouya tensed uncomfortably, not liking this kind of confrontation; his parents had let him do whatever he wanted, and no one else had the guts to stand up to him - anyone who did ended up having the shit beaten out of them, but with Fon it was different; he didn't want to fight with his uncle because he wanted the man's approval.

"There was no need to hit Fran over the head with a plate, Kyouya; you could have really hurt him." Fon sighed.

"He made me angry." Kyouya shrugged, as if it were obvious.

"Didn't you think that there are other ways to handle it whenever someone makes you angry?" Fon was as gentle as ever with his nephew.

"No." Kyouya spoke as if it were obvious.

"Why didn't you talk it out with him? Violence shouldn't be the answer for something so trivial."

Kyouya just blinked, as if he didn't understand this. "Talk it out? Why would I want to do that?"

"Because hurting someone just for a comment is out of the question." Pulling his phone from his pocket, Fon passed it over to the younger. "I want you to call him and apologise."

Kyouya glared at the phone with offended eyes, unable to believe his uncle expected him to say sorry to someone he hardly knew. "No."

"Kyouya, I'm not tolerating that kind of behaviour from any of you." Grabbing his nephew's hand, Fon curled the smaller fingers around the device. "Call Viper's number and tell her you want to say sorry."

"No."

"I'm not arguing about this, Kyouya." As patient as Fon was, there were things that tried even his tolerance – this was one of those things. "Your parents never disciplined you, but that doesn't mean I won't. Make an apology or I will discipline you."

"I don't apologise to herbivores." Kyouya would have argued further on the matter had the phone in his hand not started to ring, the caller ID telling him it was Mammon calling. He scowled as he thrust the phone back to his uncle as if it had burned him, wanting nothing to do with the woman.

Fon sighed before he answered the call, putting the phone to his ear. "Hello, Viper. …What? What happened?"

Kyouya became curious at the sudden look of distress that crossed his uncle's face. He moved closer so that he could hear better, recognising a well-disguised tone of panic in the man's voice.

"Will he be okay? …Okay, I'm coming down there now." Half a minute later, Fon was saying goodbye before he hung the phone up, looking at his nephew with all seriousness. "I need to go to the hospital."

The skylark cocked his head to the side. "Why?"

Fon didn't waste any time leaving the living room to get himself ready for his departure, speaking to the younger as he walked. "Fran was out at his boyfriend's home earlier, and they were sent down to the shops to get ingredients for dinner. Fran is in shock and isn't talking to tell us how it happened, but his boyfriend was run over by a truck. The poor thing saw it all…"

Kyouya looked as stoic as ever, but even he could appreciate the severity of the situation; while he didn't like people much at all, he wasn't cold-hearted enough to not care about the turmoil Fran would be going through - he could only  
Imagine how it must feel to watch someone close to you get hurt so badly.

"Will you come to the hospital with me?" Fon had entered his bedroom by now, moving to his closet to get his coat and shoes. "Please? It would mean a lot to me if you would, Kyouya."

Kyouya wanted nothing more than to say no, but he knew his uncle was upset and didn't need anything more on his plate; he knew Fon wouldn't have asked this of him unless he needed the younger's support.

Nodding, Kyouya tensed himself as strong arms wrapped around him, hugging him tight. He frowned, not moving an inch; he hated to be touched, but somehow this wasn't too bad - he could tolerate this.

"Thank you, Kyouya..." Fon pulled away shortly after, getting himself ready.

Kyouya wasn't sure what to expect, but he knew it was nothing nice.

-XX-

Kyouya hated hospitals for a multitude of reasons, and walking through the cold corridors by Fon's side, he didn't hate them any less.

"This is his room." Fon knocked on one of the doors in the corridor before opening it. He ushered Kyouya in before he entered, closing the door silently behind him.

Kyouya tensed again at the crowd that had been awaiting them, feeling as if he could throw up from the mere sight of them. Taking a seat in the furtherest corner, Kyouya looked to see who was in the room.

As expected, Mammon was seated closest to the bed. Fran sat on her lap, his body trembling violently as he stared blankly ahead, his skin pale with shock. There was blood all over his clothing, his hands covered in the dried fluid, splotches and streaks over his face, almost as if he had been clawing at himself while the blood was still fresh. He didn't seem to be aware of his surroundings, probably trapped in his own mind.

Mukuro sat next to the two, his heterochromatic eyes closed as if what he was seeing was too painful for him. A silver, long-haired man sat next to the teenager, whom Kyouya recognised as Belphegor's adoptive parent - the man had been called in to Namimori Middle enough times about Belphegor's delinquent behaviour for the skylark to know this. He looked greatly distressed, bags darker than usual beneath his eyes as he held the blond's hand in his own shaking one.

Kyouya watched as Fon moved to Mammon's side, the two kissing softly for a second before they whispered amongst themselves. The Prefect finally looked to the bed, finding the blond boy laying on the mattress, countless IVs connecting to his body as an oxygen mask helped his chest rise and fall harshly. There were stitches on his face, bandages wrapped tightly around what seemed like every visible inch of his skin. His fingers were crooked, as if someone had taken a hammer to them several times, and one leg was propped up into the air by a sling, the other hidden beneath a blanket. His right arm was in a cast, and his bangs had been pinned back, revealing eyes that no one ever saw squeezed shut tightly, his mouth down turned in a frown as he sucked in frantic breaths he couldn't get without the oxygen mask.

"He's very lucky." Fon spoke to the long-haired man, patting the other's shoulder gently. "It's not every day someone survives such an ordeal. Are you okay, Squalo?"

"Do I fucking look okay?" the other snarled. "I don't... Stupid shithead, he is... Always causing me stress. No fucking wonder I'm losing so much hair. The cops spoke to me and said the truck driver didn't see him coming. Apparently Bel was chasing some dumb cat and came out of nowhere."

"What's his condition?"

"Stabilised, but still critical." The man named Squalo sighed, reaching out to cup the boy's cheek tenderly. "I already lost his brother; I don't need to lose him as well."

"Of course not." Fon knew just how much Mammon and Squalo loved these three kids; the long-haired man loved Belphegor like his own child, and Mammon was the most motherly figure any of them had ever had in their lives; despite their difference in age, Mammon and Belphegor were best friends, the two having a very close relationship.

Kyouya watched in silence as Mukuro finally opened his eyes, turning to look at his foster brother. The skylark had almost thought he had fallen asleep, and it wouldn't have been surprising if that were the case; who knew how long they had been here for?

"It's okay, Fran."

Kyouya tilted his head as he watched the way Mukuro reached out, wrapping his arms around the younger male. He didn't understand why the other was giving comfort, especially since Fran was sitting quietly on Mammon's lap. Was he doing this because he loved the teal-haired boy? But why did he love the smallest male? Why was he here at the hospital when he could have just stayed home? It didn't look as if he wanted to be here; why didn't he catch a taxi back to his home?

Looking at his uncle, Kyouya frowned; the man had his arms wrapped tightly around his girlfriend, his face buried in her indigo hair.

This entire atmosphere was alien to Kyouya, and he felt so out of place, he wanted to go home - he didn't need to be here when he really didn't care all that much for the other student's outcome; it was wrong of him to have come in the first place.

"Kyouya...?"

Kyouya looked to Mukuro, finding heterochromatic eyes fixed on him. Growling, he hissed, "What."

"Will you come to the canteen with me, please?" Mukuro reached out, grabbing Fran's hand in order to squeeze it.

"No."

"Kyouya!" Fon was not in the mood for his nephew's difficulty, and he couldn't help but raise his voice. "Do as you're asked!"

Kyouya sent his uncle a reproachful glare before he got up, following the other out of the room.

It was silent between them as they walked, Mukuro seemingly lost in thought while Kyouya naturally remained quiet. Not a word was spoken until a few minutes later, almost at the canteen.

"Belphegor is my best friend, you know?" The blue-haired teenager sighed, feeling dark eyes fix at him. "We met him and his brother when we were all very young. Fran and I were with very abusive foster parents, beaten and, in Fran's case, raped daily. That is why Fran has so many issues; he was really messed up by it all. One day, we were out playing in the yard. He and his brother came by, looking for food. They hadn't eaten for days, so I snuck them some food. They kept coming back after that, and we started to play together when we could. Belphegor's brother did not eat much, giving what he could find to his twin. Once Rasiel became too sick to look after him any more, Belphegor found Squalo. He was living in an apartment with his friend at the time, but he let the boys stay with them. As hard as he had tried to help, Rasiel was sick and passed away soon after. Belphegor was very distraught, but he and Squalo were the ones to get Fran and I out of there and into Mammon's care instead. Belphegor is very important to me, and it hurts very much to see him like this. I want to help him the way he helped us, but I know I can't."

All through this, Kyouya had listened in silence, never judging; he was simply surprised by what he had heard, not knowing this about any of them - he had taken the others to be a bunch of spoilt brats who had everything handed to them. "I didn't know he had a brother."

"Not many people do. Talking about Rasiel is painful for him, so he avoids it. He thinks it's his fault Rasiel died because he always ate what was given to him and did not think about his brother's hunger."

Kyouya closed his eyes, nodding. He stopped when Mukuro did, wincing as the other suddenly fell into him, the younger letting out a loud sob as he wrapped his arms around Kyouya.

"I do not want Belphegor to die..." Mukuro hugged the smaller male tighter at the thought. "I do not..."

Kyouya just stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do; sure, he was a cold person, but he wasn't heartless; he could recognise when someone just wanted comfort.

"..."Patting a head of blue hair, Kyouya cleared his throat in uneasiness, wondering if that would be enough.

-XX-

Getting Fran out of the hospital and back to Fon's home had been difficult; he had started screaming as he was pulled away from his boyfriend, thrashing to be back by the blond's side. Hospital staff had been forced to sedate him, and had given him sleeping tablets to try and get him through the night.

Now, Kyouya was laying in his bed, listening as the younger tossed and turned and cried out for Belphegor from the room next to his. The other three were still at the hospital, having passed Fran off to Fon to try and get the boy to rest; after what he had witnessed, he didn't need to be stuck in a hospital room with nothing to distract him.

Kyouya felt bad for the boy, knowing Fran loved Belphegor very much. Part of him hoped Fran would at least rest a bit more peacefully through the night, and with that thought in mind, he was fast asleep, his dreams replaying the conversation he had had with Mukuro at the hospital; if those three teenagers could hide their pain so well, then that meant Kyouya wasn't alone; it hurt him inside to have gone through what he had with his family, but he was too prideful to admit it. At least now he knew he wasn't alone in his battle, that there were others who had suffered as well.

Kyouya didn't know anyone else he could relate to, but now, things didn't seem so bleak; if the other three herbivores could live so happily after what they had been through, then that meant there was hope for him, too. 


	5. Chapter 5

When Kyouya got out of bed the next morning, the first thing he did was find his uncle. It was still early in the morning, so the skylark wasn't expecting to find both Fon and Fran in the living room, the TV playing at a soft hum in the background. The boy was clinging to the oldest male, his head on Fon's shoulder as he hiccupped.

"Good morning, Kyouya." Fon smiled at his nephew, his fingers threading through bloodied teal locks. "Did you sleep alright?"

Kyouya shrugged, sitting next to Fran. He could feel the way the younger's body quivered violently, unable to understand just how badly affected the boy had been by the accident.

"Kyouya, can you take him into your room and sit with him for a while? I'll make a start on breakfast now that everyone's awake."

Though Kyouya wasn't happy at all to do as asked, he still reached out and tugged at the bloodstained school jacket Fran still wore. "Come, herbivore."

Fran didn't resist; he followed behind in silence until they were standing in the middle of the skylark's bedroom, dark eyes staring at the small boy.

Kyouya had never been in this situation before; he had no idea what to say or do. Cocking his head to the side, he sat on his bed before saying, "You look like crap."

Emerald eyes looked blankly to the older teenager, Fran's face as expressionless as ever. "…"

Unflinching beneath the piercing gaze, Kyouya continued on. "You should get in the shower; you have blood all over you."

Fran winced at these words, the trembling in his hands getting worse. He whimpered as fresh tears slipped down his cheeks, reaching up to rip at his strands. When he spoke, it was in a voice full of horror. "T-there was… so much blood… It was everywhere… All over the truck… The ground… There was a trail… from where the truck had dragged him… I-I… He k-kept choking on his own blood… He was trying to scream… But he couldn't… And t-then he just… He just stopped moving… I tried to shake him, but he wouldn't wake up again… I t-t-thought… he was dead…"

Kyouya stared, unable to imagine such a horrible scenario. "…"

"T-the truck driver…" A distant look crossed emerald eyes, showing just how lost in his thoughts Fran was. "H-he… He got out… He didn't know what to do… When people came out of their houses, he asked them to take me away… He called an ambulance, but n-no one knew what t-to do… A woman t-tried to pull m-me away, but I didn't w-want to leave my senpai… I just kept s-shaking him… and begging him to… to wake up again…"

"…"

"T-then the ambulance came… They had to pull him out from behind the wheels… He got stuck and was dragged across the ground…"

As disturbing as what he was hearing was, Kyouya couldn't find it in himself to be shaken by this information; it just wasn't in his nature to concern himself over others. "You should have a shower before breakfast; it's unhygienic to be eating with blood caked over your body."

Fran rubbed at his face with both hands before he nodded. "Okay…" With that whispered, he turned around to leave for the bathroom.

Kyouya left his room again once he heard the sounds of the shower turn on from down the hall. Making his way to the kitchen, Kyouya sat down at the dining table, watching as his uncle went about preparing breakfast.

"Make sure you are kind to him, Kyouya." Fon wasn't joking as he turned around to look at the younger. "He's very stressed. Where is he now?"

"In the shower. I don't feel comfortable with the idea of him spreading blood everywhere."

"Kyouya, he doesn't have any diseases if that's what you're worried about; he's been tested several times over the years; he even had another test just a few days ago."

"It's not _his _blood I'm sickened by; I doubt any of that is his own in the first place." Running his fingers through his soft locks, Kyouya continued on. "It's that blond herbivore's blood I don't want to touch; who knows what we'd pick up from it."

"Bel is just as clean as Fran is, Kyouya." Moving to sit across from the younger male, Fon reached out, taking his nephew's hand in his. "You need to be a friend to Fran right now; he doesn't have many at all, and he really needs someone by his side after this; I can't even begin to fathom the mental damage seeing the accident would have caused."

Pulling his hand from Fon's, Kyouya shrugged. "I don't want to be his friend. If he needs someone so much, he should stick by the pineapple herbivore's side."

"Kyouya…" Fon was quick to become stern, not about to allow _any _sort of mistreatment towards Fran. "Kyouya, if you don't want to be his friend, that's fine, but if I find out you've been making things harder for him, we're going to be having a long talk."

"…"

"You need to show him kindness, and if he needs to talk about what happened, you _have _to listen to him, Kyouya." Fon wasn't stupid; he knew his nephew barely knew what kindness was, but if there was as good a time to learn about it, it was now. "Don't judge him; just listen to what he has to say. You don't even need to reply back to him if you don't want to – just don't let him keep it locked up inside."

"What if I don't want to listen to him?" Drumming his fingers on the table, Kyouya was quickly growing bored of this conversation; he would much rather go back to his room and get himself ready for his day of school. "I don't care much for what happened; the blond herbivore has only ever antagonised me."

"Whatever Bel has done should not be reflected back onto Fran," the older male explained. "He shouldn't be guilty because of association; he and Belphegor are two completely different people, and their personalities are so different, it's conflicting."

"It is not my problem; no one I cared for was run over by a truck."

"But what if the positions were reversed and it was _you _who may lose someone important to you? No one knows what to expect with Bel; he could pass any second without warning."

"But it _wasn't _me, uncle; that's a stupid hypothesis."

Fon sighed, knowing he was going to have to spend time with his nephew and try to get him to understand how crucial it was to support Fran – for now, he had to make breakfast so he had time to take Kyouya to school and then drop Fran back off to Mammon.

"Go and get ready for school." Knowing he wasn't going to get anywhere, Fon stood back up and returned to his cooking, hoping that Kyouya would be a bit more sociable once he had eaten. "Breakfast won't be far off."

Kyouya was silent as he left the room, sparing not even a glance for the boy who stepped out of the bathroom in front of him, clearly trembling from anxiety as he stood there awkwardly, clad only in a towel.

"K-kyouya-senpai…?" Fran tried to stop the other, to ask for help regarding what to do now that he was out of the shower, but the older male just ignored him. Whimpering quietly to himself, he started to shake more as he realised how vulnerable he was without a second set of clothing to change into; had washing all of the blood off his skin been worth taking off his clothing splattered with blood anyway…?

_**~~XX~~**_

Staring out of the window of the Disciplinary Committee office, Kyouya's onyx orbs focused on a group of familiar figures by the perimeter of the school. Tsunayoshi and his friends stood on one side of the small chain-link fence while Mukuro and Fran stood on the other, the blue-haired male's arms wrapped securely around Fran's shoulders as the younger cried.

Kyouya didn't understand when Tsunayoshi and his dark-haired companion each took turns holding Fran to their chests so that the smallest male could cry into them; he felt more comfortable watching the silver-haired teenager stare with a stoic expression – that was something he could relate to much more than _that_.

The Prefect wasn't entirely understanding of why Fran was even bothering to go to school when it was clear that the other was too distraught to do anything there; wouldn't it make more sense to just stay home and cry instead of burdening others with his problems?

Shaking his head, Kyouya turned back to the reports he was reading; he shouldn't concern himself over other herbivores' business when he had enough of his own to deal with.

_**~~XX~~**_

After arriving back at his home hours later, Kyouya was horrified to find boxes scattered around the house. Chewing at his lip, the skylark hurried through the house and to his uncle's bedroom, finding the man unpacking a smaller box that sat on his bed.

"What is this." Kyouya stood in the doorway, glaring at the stronger male.

"Kyouya, I'm not in the mood for this." Fon did seem quite agitated, a harshness in his voice the younger wasn't used to. "You knew full-well that Viper was moving in; don't start anything because I don't want to deal with it right now."

Blinking in surprise, Kyouya wondered what could have happened to upset the laidback male. "Did something happen?"

"Just trying to get all of their belongings out of the house so whoever bought it can move in, and then having to go and get Fran and Mukuro from school… I wasn't telling you to be nice to him just for fun, Kyouya; he was getting bullied for what happened, and…" Sighing, Fon shook his head. "It's probably not my place to tell you. They're sleeping in one of the spare rooms for now, so try not to wake them; they really need their rest."

"Is _she _here?" Kyouya couldn't keep the dislike out of his voice, not wanting to share his home with others.

"She's still at the hospital. I'm moving everything by myself to try and keep the pressure off her, so I would very much appreciate it if you could come with me tonight and help me pack more belongings."

"Maybe." The skylark shrugged, taking notice of the stress that replaced the usual happiness on his uncle's face.

"Well, can you do me a favour in the meantime? Once they wake up, can you help them set their rooms up, please? I know they'd love the distraction."

"I don't want to; they're capable of unpacking their own things, aren't they?"

"Kyouya… Be _nice_. At least _ask _them if they want some help."

Staring at Fon for a few seconds more, Kyouya left the room to go to his own; he could understand that as much as he didn't want the others to be here, he had no choice in the matter, but he couldn't _stand _being forced to crowd with them, especially the pineapple-haired one.

Closing his door behind him, Kyouya moved to his bookshelf, deciding he needed to lose himself in a good novel; things most certainly weren't going the way he had planned.


	6. Chapter 6

"Kyouya?"

Jerking out of his half-asleep state, Kyouya blinked sleepily at the doorway, a tired expression winning over the glare he tried to send to Mukuro. "What…?"

"I need your help with something." Mukuro stepped further into the room, an unreadable expression on his face. "Can you do it?"

"No." Rolling onto his side, Kyouya tugged the blankets out from beneath him. "Do it yourself."

"Please? Fon said you cook very well, and…" an uncomfortable look crossed the younger male's face now, as if he didn't want to keep talking, "…I do not know how to do it…"

Cracking an eyelid open, the skylark glared for a few seconds. "You cannot cook, herbivore? Go get Fon to do it, then."

"He is at the hospital; I told him I could cook dinner tonight because I could see he needed a rest." Fidgeting anxiously, heterochromatic eyes darted everywhere but at Kyouya. "The only problem is… I do not know how to cook…"

For once taking pity on someone, Kyouya got off the bed and moved to the doorway. He stopped just long enough to tell the other to follow him before he continued on again, leading the younger into the kitchen.

"Why is the green herbivore not with us?" Kyouya leant down to grab a saucepan from the cupboard, curious as to why the teal-haired boy was absent; he knew that Fran seemed to cling to Mukuro constantly, so it was surprising that the youngest wasn't around at the moment.

"Fran is still sleeping; his depression seems to be overwhelming for him with everything that is happening." Scratching at his cheek, Mukuro wished there was something he could do to save the boy he cared about so much. "Do you know anything I can do to help him?"

"No." Moving to the fridge, the smaller teenager looked to see what they had. "What did you want to cook?"

"Anything, really… I am not fussed; I wish to learn to cook _something _so I can be of some use to everyone."

"Well, then…" Snatching up ingredients from the top shelf, Kyouya moved them to the counter. He went about getting more ingredients for teriyaki chicken, giving Mukuro instructions as to what to do. The Kokuyo student, despite his lack of confidence in this moment, was quick to catch on, and soon enough, the two were working side-by-side in peace, their differences set aside for once.

"I am worried about Fran..." Mukuro said quietly, conscious of the possibility that Fran may have woken and was overhearing them. "He has not... been this bad since... Since the abuse... I am greatly concerned about him..."

Kyouya didn't know what it was like to worry about someone, to care for them enough to want to help them; he had always attributed it to something only herbivores did, seeing bonds as something that would pull him down if he allowed himself to become so weak as to allow them.

"Why do you care about those herbivores?" The raven was a very observant person, but even so, it didn't take a rocket scientist to be able to see just how close Mukuro, Fran and Belphegor were. "Why not just worry about yourself? Life is easier without carrying others' burdens."

"Because I love them, and I could not get through life without them by my side," Mukuro said quietly. "I could not bear the thought of going aimlessly through life without friends, even if it means being in pain."

"You are stupid for suffering needlessly." Turning the stove off, Kyouya picked the saucepan up and carried it over to the three awaiting bowls on the counter behind them.

"Maybe I am, but they are worth suffering for. They are important to me. I could _never _agree with your views, with thinking a life without bonds is a life at all... I have been through enough in my life to know that everyone needs _someone_."

Kyouya didn't need to keep arguing when he knew he was right, but it bothered him that the younger's words were tugging at the back of his mind, questioning whether the other could possibly be right also.

What if... they were _both _right, and Kyouya just didn't want to see eye-to-eye because _he _didn't have any bonds himself?

"What makes you so sure of your own words, herbivore?" Taking his bowl over to the dining table, Kyouya pulled out a chair as he watched the other come to join him.

"Because, as I said, I have _suffered_..." A tired expression crossed Mukuro's face, placing his bowl down across from the other's tenderly. "Excuse me while I take Fran his dinner..."

Beginning to eat his own meal in silence, Kyouya closed his eyes. He wondered if he should talk to Fon about his discussion with Mukuro and see what the older male had to say, but what if he just got a differing point of view that only confused him further?

Why did people have to be so complicated?

_**~~XX~~**_

"Mammon-nee..."

Kyouya looked up from the book he had been absorbed in, having forgotten about the younger two sitting in his room with him; they had both been so quiet as they did their homework on the floor of his bedroom, they hadn't bothered the skylark at all.

"Are you okay, Fran?"

Onyx eyes watched as Fran moved to the doorway, seemingly wanting to be held in the waiting woman's arms. Kyouya was right when, half a minute later, the youngest male's face was buried against Mammon's chest as she wrapped her arms around her charge.

"When did _you _get here." Kyouya was not asking a question.

Ignoring the teenager's attitude towards her, Mammon instead threaded her fingers through the boy's teal locks, knowing Fran needed more attention than Kyouya did. "It's alright, Fran."

"How is he...?" Fran whispered, his emerald orbs locking onto the woman's. "Is Bel-senpai going to be okay...?"

"The only change to his condition is for the worse," Mammon explained gently, watching from the corner of her eye as Mukuro slowly came to join them. "He had to be resuscitated earlier, but he pulled through."

"Re...susci...tated...?"

Mammon nodded grimly, hating to remember the horrific beeping as the heart rate monitor went flat, the way Belphegor had been like a corpse as he had had CPR performed on him by nurses. "That's right, Fran."

"Mammon-nee..." Sobbing to himself, Fran pressed closer against the woman's body, wishing with all his being that what had happened that day had been nothing more than a nightmare he could wake up from any time soon. "Mammon-nee…"

Fon moved in behind his girlfriend, looking over at the teenagers with eyes as kind as ever. Stepping past the threshold, he approached his nephew, sitting on the bed next to Kyouya. "I must admit I'm surprised to find both of them in your room, Kyouya. What made you let them in?"

"The green herbivore was cutting himself." Onyx eyes moved over to the teal-haired boy, remembering how he had walked in on the traumatised male dragging a blade across his arms. He had been shocked to see this, and had gone to fetch Mukuro to deal with it; self-harm was something he had _never _dealt with, a thought that hadn't once crossed his mind – to have it so blatantly thrown in his face like that had been very daunting indeed. "The pineapple herbivore stopped him and requested to spend time with me so he could distract himself. I saw no reason to turn them away if they would be quiet and not disturb me."

Pulling his nephew into a hug, Fon rubbed his charge's back. "Thank you for being kind to them today, Kyouya; we all really appreciate it. Will you please try and let them stay with you more often? They could both use a friend."

Looking back to the book in his lap, the skylark tensed at the request; sure, today hadn't been _too _bad, but would he be able to handle it more and more? "…We'll see…"

"Thank you, Kyouya." Getting up from the bed, Fon smiled down at the younger. "Get some rest; it's late."

Kyouya watched in silence as the two adults ushered the other teenagers from the room. With a sigh, he picked his book back up, trying to distract himself; those younger herbivores must be starting to rub off on him, because there was no other reason he was starting to concern himself over both Fran _and _Belphegor.

Would they both be okay in the end? Or would one – or even _both _– of them lose this fight?


	7. Chapter 7

Kyouya hadn't expected to find himself in Belphegor's hospital room again, but here he was, walking towards the door that would give him entrance to it; after a few weeks of coexisting somewhat peacefully with his new housemates, he had somehow allowed them to bring him to the hospital - how they had managed to talk him into something he shouldn't have done for anyone but his uncle was a mystery.

Kyouya wasn't sure how or why things had changed between them, but no longer did he view Mukuro as his enemy; instead the younger was someone who wasn't unwelcome to spend time with him as long as he was quiet and didn't bother him; it was strange to be getting along with someone he had previously conflicted with, but he was slowly deciding he didn't mind it; Mukuro could hold pleasant conversations, the skylark had soon found out.

"Are you okay, Fran?"

Looking back at Mukuro's voice. Kyouya found the smallest male trembling on the spot. "..."

"M-mammon-nee said..." Fran sniffed as tears welled up in his eyes, "...said that... Bel-Senpai still hasn't woken up yet... It's been weeks... Is he in a coma, Master...?"

Mukuro hugged the boy tight to him before he hesitantly said, "Yes... Though I am sure he is just in a lot of pain and so his body is keeping him asleep so he is not feeling it as much; he may wake up any time now." Hoping to ease the other's stress, Mukuro was prepared to fabricate any truths about Belphegor; Fran had suffered enough and deserved to be spared more pain.

Kyouya frowned as he walked into the room, leaving the other two behind. It was void of any visitors save themselves today, and the skylark was quick to understand why; seeing the blond lay motionless on the bed was depressing enough without subjecting one's self to it all day every day.

Taking a seat a bit further away from the bed than the others, the Prefect's sharp eyes took in his fellow student's features; the older male's face looked paler than usual, clammy, and his chest heaved as heavily as the day of the accident. The blankets hid his body from view, but the bandages that had been wrapped tightly around his face and head were mostly gone save a couple for longer-lasting damage, revealing large patches of missing flesh that looked as if it had been scraped off with a cheese grater; why these wounds had been uncovered and left for potential infection was beyond him, but Kyouya wasn't a doctor.

"Senpai..."

Looking over at the doorway, the skylark wasn't surprised to find Fran looking as if he were about to cry.

"Be careful if you wish to hug him, Fran," Mukuro instructed gently from beside his friend. "His ribs are going to take a very long time to heal, and the more shattered ones have pierced his lungs. Do try not to put any pressure on his body."

Fran nodded as he closed the distance between he and Belphegor. He hesitated for a few seconds by the older male's side before he leant down and placed a kiss on his boyfriend's cheek, unable to go near his lips because of the oxygen mask.

"I love you, Senpai..." Fran whispered as he reached beneath the blanket to grab the other's shaking hand. He squeezed slightly before he rested his head on the mattress, hating how he hadn't been allowed to see his beloved boyfriend again until today; he knew Mammon was only looking out for him, but still...! He had wanted to stay by his lover's side for all this time, hoping his presence would be comforting for him.

Mukuro came to stand by Kyouya's side, his heterochromatic eyes observing the smaller ones closely. "It is very painful to see them both like this..."

Kyouya nodded, not quite understanding how they were feeling; this wasn't his friend or boyfriend in a coma, after all. "..."

Taking the seat closest to the hospital bed, Mukuro reached beneath the blankets, entwining his fingers with crooked ones that may never lay straight again. He hated the feel of the splints he could sense around the broken digits, feeling as if they were a cruel slap to the face that his best friend may die if Belphegor's body just couldn't fight anymore.

Sighing to himself, Mukuro let mismatched eyes slip closed as he tried to focus on anything but the shallow beeping of the heart rate monitor across from them.

It was silent between them all for several minutes before Belphegor's twitching head drew their attention. Mukuro and Fran watched with baited breaths as a blond head swayed side-to-side for half a minute before purple eyes snapped open and his mouth dropped open in a silent scream, a look of agony on his face.

Fran started hyperventilating at this, having never seen his boyfriend so distressed before. Mukuro jumped up from the chair as he ran from the room, calling for help in every language he knew; the terror of losing his best friend was consuming him, and he was hardly aware of what language was slipping from his tongue as he begged the first nurse to come to his side to help them.

Kyouya watched in silence as the blond was sedated. He would be lying if he said he hadn't been unnerved by what he had just witnessed; watching the student thrash his head around in what was clearly more pain than one could fathom was a daunting thing, and it made the skylark feel uncomfortable.

"Is he going to be okay...?" Kyouya heard Fran whimper to the nurses, having calmed down from his panic attack.

"We've sedated him and given him heavy painkillers." A long-haired brunet nurse smiled down at Fran as her eyes wandered over Belphegor's body. "He's going to go back to sleep and hopefully he won't feel a thing."

Fran nodded, letting tears slip down his cheeks as he watched the way hazy purple eyes slipped shut again, the teenager's head dropping weightlessly back onto the pillow. "He is... out of the coma now, right...?"

"Yes, and that's a good thing," the nurse promised. "He was in it for only a couple of weeks, so the chances of him recovering from head trauma are better than we had anticipated; the longer he stayed in it, the more severe the damage."

Fran nodded, reaching out to touch the taller male's hand with his tiny fingers. "So he... Will he be off life support soon...?"

"He suffered a lot of internal bleeding, and important bones and organs have been damaged from the incident; he can't be taken off it until he can function by himself again."

"Okay..." The teal-haired boy whispered. His emerald orbs took in the countless IVs and tubes that disappeared into the blond's body, feeling sick at all of the machines that surrounded them; if Belphegor needed all of this life support, then it must have been a miracle he had survived long enough for the ambulance to arrive and pry him out from behind the wheels of the truck.

Fran would never forget thinking that his boyfriend was dead as he shook the lifeless body repeatedly, begging for him to wake up; it still haunted his dreams at night, lurking in the recesses of his consciousness until it striked when he was at his most vulnerable; he would never forget the way his boyfriend had tried to scream, only to cough up and choke on his own blood instead.

Watching as the nurse pulled back the blankets, Kyouya diverted his gaze from the naked body lying in front of him; he had never felt so uncomfortable before, and though he knew this was nothing more than a medical emergency, he still felt as if he could throw up; it was just too much for his antisocial nature, and he felt he needed to go back home.

As if Mukuro had sensed this, he looked away from where the woman had started the dialysis process, missing the way she had started to clean the straw-coloured gunk and blood from around the tubes that poked out from beneath tightly wound bandages, and instead locked gaze with the older male.

"Will you please stay...?" The blue-haired male whispered, feeling as if Kyouya was his strength to get through this visit; for whatever reason, the skylark's presence was soothing to him, even if their relationship had been founded on a mutual loathing and conflict.

Staring into heterochromatic eyes for a few seconds more, Kyouya looked away as he let himself fall back into his chair. He muttered something incomprehensible before he glared pointedly at the corner of the room, not wanting to see what was happening on the hospital bed.

Mukuro nodded in silent appreciation as he turned to see what was happening to his best friend now. Watching as Fran held onto a leg encased in plaster and weights, he wasn't surprised to see that the boy was helping shift Belphegor onto his side so that the damage to his back could be checked as well.

"Can I do anything to help?"

Smiling appreciatively at Mukuro, the nurse said, "Would you mind changing a few bandages? I can't promise it'll be a very pleasant job, however."

Standing up from his seat, Mukuro shook his head. "I can do that. Just tell me where to start."

Kyouya let his attention drift back onto the blond now, shocked to find the younger two cooperating the way they were to help Belphegor; did they really care about him so much, they were willing to touch his bloody, pus-covered body that seemed to have had more flesh ripped off than had been spared?

It was certainly a surprising thing to see; if it were up to him, he wouldn't even be here, let alone helping.


	8. Chapter 8

"Uncle?"

Fon looked down at his nephew, finding Kyouya standing by the kitchen counter with a puzzled expression on his face. "What's wrong, Kyouya?"

"..." Picking up the knife that lay abandoned next to the chopping board, the skylark went about chopping ingredients for their dinner. "At the hospital... Those two herbivores helped the nurse with the blond herbivore. They were changing bandages, and there was so much blood and tissue sticking to the fabric; lots of pus from infection, too. The flaps of skin only just hanging onto his body were really disgusting, and it made the pineapple herbivore throw up. But even so, he kept changing them. Why wouldn't he stop if he was too uneasy with what he was doing?"

"Because he really cares about Belphegor and wants him to be okay." Fon tilted his head to the side as a thought struck him. "Did you help them with him?"

"Why would I?" The skylark asked in a flat tone. "The blond herbivore is not someone I care about."

"But don't you care about Mukuro and Fran, even just a little? You did go with them to the hospital, after all."

"No." Denying he felt anything towards the younger males, Kyouya turned the conversation back away from him. "But why would you want to care for someone if you're going to be upset if something happens to them? Wouldn't it be easier to care only for yourself?"

"Maybe. I'm sure it would save a lot of pain, but I couldn't imagine myself not loving anyone else. It would be pretty lonely, I picture."

"That's what the pineapple herbivore said. I'm not lonely, so..."

"Everyone is different, Kyouya." Moving to the steamer, Fon put a load of rice into it. "Some people like yourself prefer not to be around others, while people like Mukuro and I favour company. There isn't any right or wrong way to live your life because it all comes down to personal preference - in the end, the only thing that matters is how we've treated others. I know that's not something you were taught, but it's never too late to learn."

"What if I don't want to learn? What if I'm happiest living the way I am?"

Giving the younger a sad smile, Fon shook his head. "I'm going to show you something tonight, Kyouya. Hopefully you'll understand what I'm trying to tell you."

Kyouya didn't like the sound of that; why did he get the feeling he wasn't going to like what he was shown?

_**~~XX~~ **_

"Are you sure you're okay, Squalo?"

Kyouya wasn't fooled when the long-haired man in front of him shrugged and put on a tough face; the dried tears that clung to his skin gave it all away; Squalo had been crying some time before Fon and Kyouya arrived at his home.

"I'm fine..." The other thing that gave away the man's depression was the fact that he was curled up on the couch, having been asleep when his visitors arrived. "I'm always fine..."

"I thought I would bring Kyouya around and let him see how much Belphegor is loved. It might help him to sympathise a bit more with everyone. Is that okay?" Putting his hand on his nephew's shoulder, Fon offered a gentle smile to his friend.

Squalo waved a dismissive hand in the air. "Yeah, sure. Go for it."

"Go and have a look around, Kyouya." Pushing on the younger gently, the Chinese male added, "I'm going to talk to Squalo for a bit."

The skylark nodded as he moved out of the living room and towards the hallway. He went into the first room on his left, finding that he had entered Squalo's bedroom.

The room itself was very tidy and well organised, a king-size bed pressed against the middle of the far wall with a small set of drawers resting on either side. A wardrobe was pressed on the other side of the room with an entertainment system at the end of the bed. Bookshelves took up most of the other wall, filled to the brim with books of various genres, but what Kyouya noticed the most was that the photo frames in the room vastly outnumbered anything else in here.

Moving further into the room to get a better look, Kyouya found that almost all of the photos were of Belphegor at varying ages, whether it be just him or someone else with him in the shot. Along with Belphegor, there were also pictures of Viper, a man who wore sunglasses in every photo and had a part of green hair, another male with scars on his face and a buzz cut, and a couple of Fran and Mukuro with the blond.

Why did Squalo feel the need to have so many photos of the same people? Wouldn't one be enough?

Moving on to the door that branched off of Squalo's bedroom, Kyouya next found himself in the study. Just like the bedroom, it was neat, everything where it could easily be found.

The desk sat against the huge wall-window, a computer resting on top of it. There were documents and display folders spread out before the computer, a filing cabinet pressed against the desk. Again, there were plenty of photos scattered around the room, all of the same people whom he had seen in the room.

Making his way back out to the hallway, Kyouya entered the next bedroom, one that was a shocking contrast to the tranquillity that had been Squalo's bedroom and work area; this room looked as if it had been trashed ten times over.

Stepping through the mess that engulfed every inch of the floorboards, Kyouya was glad to see that at least the blond's school equipment had been spared that same fate and was resting safely on the desk. There was another entertainment system in this room, but unlike Squalo's there was thousands of dollars' worth of gaming consoles hooked up to the flat screen TV, countless games and DVDs scattered around it all, and Kyouya could only feel a surge of jealousy that Belphegor had someone willing to spend so much money on him; he hadn't known that same luxury with his parents.

Traversing the mess, Kyouya approached the desk carefully so that he didn't trip and break his neck. He found unfinished homework waiting patiently on the hardwood, pens and a calculator sitting on top of it; it was an eerie thing to see it all set out as if Belphegor had only planned to leave the room for a little while before returning.

Opening the drawers in the desk, Kyouya rummaged through to find a few photos and newspaper clippings. He pulled them out, seeing that most of the photos weren't much different than the ones Squalo had; most of them were of Belphegor with either Fran and Mukuro or Squalo, though there was one that Kyouya couldn't stop staring at; taken in a home that was not the one he was currently standing in, on a couch that looked nothing like the one Squalo had been sleeping on, sat two identical boys, one of them clearly a much younger Belphegor.

What had grasped Kyouya's attention and wouldn't let go was the fact that both of these boys were wearing rags, covered in grime and bruises. The boy on the right looked deathly sick, and Kyouya suspected he was right as he recalled Mukuro telling him his fellow student's brother had died; the other boy that must have been Belphegor was clearly crying as he held himself close to his brother, trying to force a smile amidst his tears.

Flipping the photo over, the skylark found a neat cursive writing that read, _'Don't blame yourself anymore, Bel; it's not your fault. None of it is your fault. He's in a better place where he can be happy so now it's your turn to be happy, too. Keep this and remember that your brother was happy in his final moments finally having a home and someone to look after you. I wish I had found you both sooner and I'm sorry I hadn't.'_

Putting the photos back where he had found them, Kyouya turned around to leave; he didn't want to look at the newspaper clipping, suspecting it would have something to do with that last photo; for whatever reason, it was depressing to have come across something so personal, that Belphegor must have kept as it was the only thing he had left to remember his brother by.

Feeling he had seen enough to realise that Belphegor was loved more than he would probably ever understand, the Prefect made his way back out to the living room, finding the two adults still talking.

Sitting by his uncle's side, Kyouya made no move to join in; he felt like he shouldn't even be here in the first place, having cared so little about Belphegor; did he really have the right to be standing in the blond's home when he had not once cared whether he lived or died?

_**~~XX~~**_

To Kyouya's surprise, they hadn't gone home after leaving Squalo's house; Fon had driven out to the hospital and coaxed his nephew in to see Belphegor instead.

Not much had changed from when he had been here earlier; the same blond was still as broken as ever. However, unlike earlier, hazy purple eyes followed them as they moved into the room.

There was a nurse sitting beside the blond, unwrapping bandages so that she could run a wet rag beneath them. She was humming quietly as she went about her job, probably an attempt at soothing the trembling blond.

"How is he?" Fon closed the door quietly behind him as he moved closer to the bed. He reached out, intending on stroking the tips of his fingers against the teenager's still-intact cheek, only to stop when the other's eyes widened and he jerked his head away, as if he were afraid. "I didn't…"

The nurse smiled in understanding as she shook her head. "That's normal behaviour for someone in his condition; he's in a lot of pain and very anxious. He's been given a high dose of pain killers and he's very sleepy; he's fighting against it."

"He doesn't act like you're about to hit him if you raise your hand to him; why is he now?"

"Most patients in this kind of care are very confused and frightened, and them acting out is not abnormal; as I said, he's in a lot of pain and it's causing him anxiety and confusion - completely understandable for when you've woken up in an unfamiliar place and your body is in this kind of condition. His head has also suffered trauma, and there's no telling what kind of effect this will have on him so soon; it could lead to an entirely new personality depending on what part was damaged and how severely."

Fon nodded, hating to see the tears that were now running down the blond's face; was it from fear or pain, or even both?

"It's okay, Belphegor," Fon promised, reaching out again. He ghosted his fingers against the other's cheek for a few seconds before he hesitantly placed his palm on top of the boy's head. Turning to the nurse, he asked, "Is this going to hurt him?"

"No; as long as you're extra gentle and do your best to avoid the bandages, he won't feel much."

Fon nodded. He caressed the damaged head ever-so-carefully, always mindful of the fact that the patient still seemed to be scared. "Ma'am?"

"Yes?" Pulling a particularly bloodied bandage from Belphegor's arm, the nurse smiled.

"Would you mind if I try and get my nephew to help out? He needs to learn a little compassion, so it may not be easy."

"That's fine, but there's only so much I can let him do as he's not trained for this kind of thing." Lifting the blanket that hid Belphegor's exposed hips, the woman unashamedly grabbed her patient's shaft, checking that the three tubes inserted into it were still in place before she pointed to a roll of bandages sitting on the bed. "Please wrap his arm back up; there was too much blood on the other one."

Kyouya wanted to say no, feeling sick at the thought of touching the blond, but one look from his uncle had him stepping over to the bed, staring down at the injured male. Belphegor stared up at him with fearful eyes, his mouth parted slightly as he sucked in as much oxygen as the mask had to offer him; Mukuro had told him earlier that the blond's jaw and nose was broken, making him wonder just how hard it was for the other to breathe with collapsed lungs.

"Give me your arm." Kyouya glared when the other didn't move, instead snatching the offending limb carelessly into the air. He blinked and dropped it when the other's face scrunched up in pain and a strangled keen muffled by the oxygen mask sounded, turning to look at the nurse that was moving over to assess her patient's arm.

"You can't just grab him like that!" The woman scolded, laying the limb down straight on the mattress. She pointed out the pins that had been stuck into various places to keep the bones together, saying, "His bones have been snapped completely in half all along his arm! Even with such heavy painkillers, he's still going to feel this, and it's not helping with all the pain he's already in!"

Looking at Belphegor who had scrunched his eyes shut tight and was panting harshly, Kyouya for once in his life felt bad for what he had just done; Belphegor was in enough pain as it was, and he hadn't done anything to deserve more.

Instead, Kyouya turned to his uncle and said, "Hold his arm so I can bandage it, then..."

Fon nodded, reaching into his pocket to pull out the iPod Squalo had given to him earlier. He grabbed the older student's attention as he said, "Squalo asked for me to bring this for you; he said it helps you relax whenever you're feeling bad."

Purple eyes fixed on the iPod, a flash of recognition crossing them. His head shifted side-to-side as if he wanted to say something, but just like every other time, Belphegor never moved anything below his neck; the nurses hadn't said anything about spinal damage, but surely Belphgor would move even a little if he could...?

Turning the iPod on, Fon started the playlist Squalo had made, having been told it was soundtracks from some of Belphegor's favourite games.

Placing the device down next to the blond's head, Fon watched as the boy turned closer to it, eventually letting his eyes flutter shut as he finally allowed himself to fall asleep.

Fon picked up the bloodstained arm before him, holding it as straight as he possibly could while Kyouya bandaged it.

Fon didn't force his nephew to do anything else once they were done; he knew Kyouya had done well enough with that one task, and he was proud; it must have taken a lot for the skylark to put himself out there like he had, and no one could expect anything more from him.


	9. Chapter 9

When Kyouya came home from school the next day, he was walking down the hallway in order to retire to his bedroom when he heard voices that shouldn't be here floating through the open door of Mukuro and Fran's bedroom. Narrowing his eyes, he stopped and turned back around so that he could stand in the doorway and glare at the unwelcome guests who were making _his _home more crowded than it already was.

"What are _you three _doing here?" Glaring at Tsunayoshi and his band of herbivores, Kyouya was about ready to walk in there and drag the younger three out himself - he stopped only as he noticed Fran curled up on the dark-haired teenager known as Takeshi, the boy's face damp with tears. "Leave. There are enough herbivores crowding my home without you lot adding to it."

"Hibari-san…" Though Tsuna was usually a push-over and greatly feared the skylark, for whatever reason, the brunet had put this behind him for this moment; now, he seemed adamant in staying where he was. "Hibari-san, I _would _leave if this were any other occasion, but right now I'm here for my friends; they're having a hard time and I want them to be okay. I'm sorry if we're crowding, but we were _all _going to leave soon to go and see a movie anyway."

"A movie?" Kyouya didn't quite understand this; why pay money to see a movie when you could stay home and watch one for free? "Why?"

"Because it's a nice thing to do with your friends every now and then." Tsuna offered a shy smile, his actions fitting his personality once more. "You can come with us if you want; we don't mind."

"…" Glancing over to Mukuro who was sitting so quietly, Kyouya sighed. He looked back to the brunet, his dark eyes staring intensely into brown ones. "You will let me organise seating. When does it start?"

"In an hour-and-a-half."

The skylark nodded. "Then I will meet you there." With that said, he left the room and continued on to his own, not entirely sure of why he had agreed; wouldn't it be so much easier to just stay home and do what he needed to?

Sighing, Kyouya closed his eyes as he ever-so-gently closed his door behind him; it wouldn't do to have any herbivores inviting themselves into his own space.

_**~~XX~~**_

"What is this movie about?" Kyouya was quiet as Tsuna and his group approached him, the Prefect having been standing away from everyone at the back of the cinema. He took his ticket from Mukuro, glad that he had been able to convince the cinema staff to sell out of the surrounding rows so that there was no one nearby them during the showing.

"It's meant to be an action movie," Mukuro explained, holding Fran's hand in his. "Fran had wanted to see it with Belphegor, but… So we decided to take him instead."

Kyouya crinkled his nose at the information, not entirely sure of whether or not he wanted to see an action movie – but then again, it could have been worse; it could have been a _romance _he had agreed to see.

Changing the subject, the skylark instead said, "The blond herbivore has issues."

"He is a good friend once you get to know him," Mukuro defended, feeling Fran squeeze his hand in distress. "He is one of the most loyal people I know; he just does not like strangers or people he does not know well."

"Yeah, he's pretty good with us," Tsuna agreed. "He's distant, but he has our backs if we need him."

"I still do not like him." Turning around, Kyouya left the group behind, going to their seats. He knew the younger ones were following him, but he didn't look back; they could look after themselves.

While the group talked amongst themselves as they waited for the showing to start, Kyouya never said a word; he simply sat where he was with his arms folded against his chest, looking at his lap; he was uncomfortable with where he was, but he didn't want to back out now and make himself look weak – not when there were so many people around to see him.

"Ne, Kyouya-senpai…?"

Kyouya looked down at the whisper next to him, finding Fran holding out a bucket of popcorn. The younger was avoiding eye contact as he looked to the side, his hands trembling as he waited for the other to take some popcorn.

The Prefect shook his head before he turned back to glaring at his lap, seeing the younger boy curl in on himself with a pained look on his face. Dark eyes glanced away at this, knowing he was the reason Fran was upset; the smaller student must have forced himself out of his comfort zone, and Kyouya's rejection only told him that he may as well have kept to himself.

With a sigh, the older male reached out and took a single kernel, really not hungry but knowing he didn't want to be the reason Fran found himself sad with everything that had already happened – why this was, even he wasn't sure.

Fran sent the teenager an appreciative look before he leant across his seat, resting heavily against Mukuro. As if he were so used to it he didn't even notice the weight, the blue-haired male continued talking to his friends, a more peaceful expression on his face than Kyouya had ever remembered seeing on it before.

"Hibari, you should come and do things with us more often." Takeshi sent the older male one of his charming smiles before he turned to Tsuna, adding on, "Shouldn't he, Tsuna?"

The brunet nodded, his own smile on his face as he looked to his silver-haired companion. Kyouya could see that whatever they were talking about was greatly intriguing to them all, and for the slightest of seconds, he wondered what it would be like to be included in such topics.

Deciding it wasn't worth the hassle today as he had already gone far from his comfort zone, Kyouya instead turned to look at the screen now that the previews had started.

It wasn't often that Kyouya watched TV as he had always preferred a good book, but for whatever reason, he found it wasn't bad to sit here and listen to what the younger males had to whisper to each other at random intervals; it instead gave him a sense of belonging that he had never felt before when he was included in on their jokes and opinions.

Though Kyouya would refuse to make this a habit, he wouldn't be against doing this again sometime in the far future.

_**~~XX~~**_

"We will be going to the hospital now." Mukuro spoke in a tone softer than usual as he addressed his group of friends, Fran's hand held firmly in his. He tried to disguise his flinch when Tsuna approached him, but Kyouya saw through it; so Mukuro didn't like touch because he was afraid of people?

Hesitantly returning the embrace the brunet gave him, Mukuro then stepped back, clearing his throat. "We will see you another time, Tsunayoshi."

Fran seemed much more open to his friends giving him hugs as he was the one who initiated the contact with Tsuna and Takeshi, telling Kyouya that the teal-haired boy was also reluctant on whom he would allow to touch him so freely; he must trust the older students tremendously as the skylark couldn't imagine he would want _anyone _touching him if he had been in the kind of 'care' the smaller male had when he was younger.

"Ah, Hibari-san." Tsuna smiled at the Prefect, stepping closer to his two friends. "We were going to have lunch. Would you like to join us?"

"…" Knowing that a cup of tea did indeed sound nice right now, Kyouya wasn't sure he wanted to be crowded just to have one; cafes were always busy, and busy was what he _hated_ – he may as well go back to his home and have one in the serenity of his bedroom.

But… If those herbivores knew of a quieter place…

"Crowd me, and I will bite you to death…" With that said, Kyouya allowed himself to follow behind the younger three, just wanting his cup of tea already.

_**~~XX~~**_

When at last Kyouya returned to his home, it was to find Fon sitting on the couch with a book open in his lap, no sign of anyone else in the house. "Where is your girlfriend?"

"She went to check on Squalo." Fon offered a smile to his nephew, closing his book tenderly before placing it on the coffee table. "You went out with Fran and Mukuro, didn't you?"

The younger nodded as he shrugged his black jacket from his shoulders. He folded it into a neat square as he said, "With those other herbivores, too."

"I'm really happy." Fon was honest as he spoke, threading his fingers through his soft hair. "I bet they enjoyed your company."

Kyouya nodded again, making no effort to move from where he was standing. "It felt... weird, to be around so many people."

"But it's nice, isn't it? Being around other people is the best thing to be doing."

"...I will not do it again so soon; I value my alone time, uncle." With that said, Kyouya started heading towards his own room. "They are lucky I stayed with them for as long as I did, and they had better appreciate that."

"I know they will," Fon promised. "They're better friends than you are giving them credit for."

"..." Ducking his head, Kyouya left, not wanting to admit that maybe... just maybe... he had seen a whole other side to the group he had had it out for the most at Namimori Middle.

_**~~XX~~**_

That night, Kyouya had gone to bed early after dealing with his homework. While he knew that Mukuro wasn't going to be home tonight as he had said earlier he was going to spend the night at Tsuna's home, he wasn't sure if Fran was going with him or not - it made sense to assume the youngest would as he and Mukuro were near-inseparable, but still; Fran was warier of people than Mukuro was.

Just about on the verge of sleep, Kyouya's eyes snapped open as he heard someone open his door. He sat up, ready to get into whoever had dared disturb his rest, only to remain silent as he found Fran standing in the threshold, trembling as he fumbled with his hands.

"Can I sleep with you tonight...?" Fran looked to his feet, almost as if he didn't want to hear the answer. "Master isn't home, and nee-san is still with Squalo..."

Staring at the smaller male in silence, Kyouya relaxed after a few seconds before he pointed to the ground, his eyes closing in resignation. "You may sleep on the floor. Do not disturb me or I will bite you to death."

Fran nodded, returning to the room he shared with Mukuro so that he could get his pillows and blanket. He curled up close to Kyouya's bed, soothed by the other's presence, knowing that he was going to have to start trusting the skylark more if they were to live together.

Kyouya, likewise, was agitated when, hours later, he was awoken once more by the boy's whimpers and sobs as nightmares plagued him, but he let it go for now; Fran hadn't done it on purpose, and he had been through enough as it was.

Closing his eyes again, the Prefect allowed himself to fall back asleep, knowing that for now, he could deal with their new living arrangements; they just had to get used to each other and learn to co-exist, as much as he didn't want to.

Kyouya had always been a realist; sometimes he just didn't like the things he had no choice but to accept.


	10. Chapter 10

When Fon stepped into his nephew's room the next morning, he couldn't help but smile at the sight of Fran sleeping somewhat peacefully amongst the blankets on the floor. Kyouya was awake and sitting at his desk with Hibird nestled in his soft locks and Roll in his hands, and when two sets of dark eyes fixed on each other, Fon couldn't help but chuckle slightly.

"Do you feel better now you haven't pushed everyone away?" The Chinese male stepped into the room, closing the distance between them as he spoke quietly as to not wake Fran up. "It's nice having friends, isn't it?"

"Don't get the wrong impression, uncle; they are not my friends." Putting his hedgehog down on the desk, Kyouya swung the desk chair around so that he could glare at the teal-haired boy sleeping near his bed. "They are people I am tolerating in order to not complicate my life further."

Fon nodded, knowing it was the best he would get out of the younger so soon. Instead, he said, "Viper and I will both be working today, and Mukuro is going to the doctor later. You're going to have to look after Fran until he comes back, and trust me when I say this, Kyouya; you_ need_ to watch him."

"Why? He's old enough to look after himself."

"Yes, but..." With a sigh, Fon shook his head. "He needs supervision, Kyouya. Especially now with everything that has happened."

"I'm not a babysitter."

"I know you're not, but this is much more complicated than just babysitting." Not knowing how to explain things properly, Fon instead opted for telling his nephew something Mammon herself had been hesitant in telling him when they had first started dating. "When Mammon first got Fran and Mukuro, she didn't know because neither of them had said anything to her. It was Belphegor who alerted them to Fran's depression, because he had asked Squalo why Fran would want to cut himself. He was only eight when he asked this, and he's had bipolar since before he was taken in. He said... that Fran wanted to kill himself, and he wanted to know if _he_ would stop hurting if he started cutting, too. Neither of them have stopped that, even after all these years. That's why you need to keep an eye on him."

Kyouya nodded at these words, understanding what his uncle was trying to tell him; if Fran was left unsupervised, he might try and kill himself while no one was around to stop him. "How often does he try it?"

"He hasn't done it for a while, but… Look at what's going on for him…" Sending the youngest a sad look, Fon threaded his fingers through his hair. "Keep an eye on him, please."

"…"Turning back to the homework he had been reading over, Kyouya waved a dismissive hand over his shoulder; he was good at keeping peace and order, having gained a lot of experience from being the Head Prefect for so long; this would be child's play to him.

"Thank you." With that said, Fon left the room.

_**~~XX~~**_

It was silent for what felt like hours once Kyouya knew he and Fran were home by themselves; the younger male was still asleep, leaving the skylark to his own devices. It wasn't until it neared lunchtime did the teal-haired boy awake.

"Kyouya-senpai…" Sitting up, Fran rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand. He yawned before saying, "I'm kind of hungry…"

"Then go and make yourself food," Kyouya muttered, squeezing his pen in agitation; the perfect sentence he had floating through his head for his English assignment was now gone, replaced by the smaller boy's voice. "I am not here to do things for you when you are capable of doing them yourself."

"…" Fran nodded, looking down at his lap. He pushed himself to his feet hesitantly, not even knowing why he had said that; he didn't expect anyone to make food for him and he wouldn't _want _them to; it just… seemed like a good start to a possible conversation, but instead, it had backfired on him in a way he hadn't even _intended_. "Do you want anything to eat, senp – Kyouya-senpai…?"

Turning to raise an eyebrow at the weaker male, Kyouya wondered if Fran had cut himself off because he had forgotten that he was not in fact addressing that blond herbivore. "No. Do as you will."

Fran nodded, leaving the room without a sound. He returned back just a few minutes later with a single gyoza in his hand. Kyouya couldn't help but question this.

"Is that all you're going to eat?" Uncertain as to why he was feeling frustrated knowing that the younger wasn't eating properly, the Prefect dropped his writing utensils to the desk as he received a nod in response. "Eat more. Even the pineapple herbivore would have come back with more than just one."

"I'm too fat…" the smaller student whispered, a tone of despair in his voice. "I need to lose weight…"

Standing up from the desk, Kyouya stalked closer to the younger. He slammed his hand against the wall so that he had the boy cornered, and he leant in close enough so that their breath mingled as he tried to force the other into eye contact. "You are _not fat_. You are too skinny, and you will become sick if you keep this up. Who told you you're fat?"

"…" Looking to the side, Fran swallowed heavily as he said, "My old carers… They wouldn't let me eat because I was fat… I only got scraps when they had eaten what they wanted…"

"Who else says it?"

"…No one else…"

Letting his tone harden, Kyouya continued on. "And who else tells you you're skinny and need to eat?"

"…" Licking his lips in anxiety, Fran said, "…Everyone…"

"So why do you believe the minority instead? _Two people_?"

"…I don't know…" came the whispered response, followed by a single tear.

Shaking his head, Kyouya backed away, not understanding how someone could look at themselves with such negativity; he would be lying if he said there was anything wrong with Fran physically because he could see and _acknowledge _that the younger was a very nice-looking male and he could _somewhat _see what Belphegor was attracted to – why treat yourself with _any _sort of disrespect when it certainly wasn't warranted?

"Go eat more gyoza," Kyouya instructed in a tone that left no room for argument. "You did not eat dinner last night, nor have you had breakfast. _Eat_. You're not _fat_."

Fran sniffed, rubbing at his eyes as he nodded. He chewed slowly at the piece he already had before he left to get more, and the skylark was pleased when he watched the younger male eat three single pieces; it was much better than just one, even if it still wasn't satisfactory.

The two sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Fran stood up. "I'm going to watch TV, Kyouya-senpai."

The older student nodded, waving a dismissive hand over his shoulder. He listened to the quiet footsteps leaving the room before he focused on his homework once again, making a mental note to go out and check on the younger in ten minutes; he always kept his word, and he knew he owed it to Fon for giving him the life he now had.

There were many things Kyouya hated, and having debts to repay were in his top ten.

_**~~XX~~**_

Having stood up and stretched not long later, Kyouya made his way to the door. He opened it slowly, knowing that if Fran didn't know someone was coming, he wouldn't hide anything he could possibly be up to; suicide and self-harm were private things, so the younger would undoubtedly pretend everything was fine if Kyouya came out announced.

Tiptoeing to the living room, the Prefect stepped into the threshold, looking at the back of the couch. He could see Fran moving around in what looked like a very particular pattern, and it sparked his suspicions; if the younger were watching TV like he had said he was going to, why would he be moving like this? Getting closer, Kyouya's eyes narrowed and he shot his hand forward to pull away the pocket knife Fran was sliding down his wrists repeatedly.

"What do you think you're doing." It was a statement, and Fran knew it.

The boy sniffed as tears slid down his cheeks. He shook his head, reaching up to rip at his teal strands as he slowly felt himself getting weaker with the blood that dribbled down into his lap. "I want to die… Please… Just let me die…"

Snatching Fran's arm away, dark eyes observed the injuries with a look of pity. He then pulled away, calling over his shoulder as he made his way to the bathroom, "I'm getting bandages and then I'm calling an ambulance; those wounds are deep."

Fran sobbed as he pleaded with the other to forget everything and let him be, but Kyouya wasn't that cruel; the boy was in pain, and it wasn't right to let the younger take his own life like this – not when things could better if Fran just _persevered_.

Grabbing a roll of bandages from the medicine cabinet, Kyouya then returned to his bedroom to retrieve his phone and call for an ambulance. He came back to the other student and bandaged the wounds to try and slow the bleeding, and when Fran lost consciousness during the wait, the skylark stayed with him until the paramedics stepped into the scene.

With the question of whether or not he should go to the hospital with Fran, Kyouya decided against it, knowing he had had enough of hospitals and would rather wait for Mukuro to come home so that someone knew the situation; he knew the blue-haired teenager would handle it better than he could.

_**~~XX~~**_

When Fran came home that night, the first thing he did was knock on Kyouya's bedroom door and then enter. The skylark was seated calmly in his bed as he read a novel, and when dark eyes fixed on him, the boy couldn't help but notice that Kyouya seemed a tad softer than usual.

"Kyouya-senpai…?" Fran fumbled with his hands, avoiding eye contact as he licked at his lips. "…Thank you…"

"For what?"

"…For what you did…"

"Why are you thanking me for something like that?" Truly confused by this sort of appreciation, Kyouya cocked his head to the side, unaware of Hibird darting out of his hair at the action. "I do not need to be thanked for something any somewhat-decent person would have done. I don't do the things I do for anyone's appreciation."

A slight smile crossed Fran's face as he gathered the courage to lift his head. He poked the tips of his forefingers together as he said, "But most of the things you do don't deserve appreciation in the first place."

Kyouya drew in an annoyed breath at this, but he didn't respond to it; he was quickly learning that whenever Fran wasn't down in the dumps, he was an absolute brat – but at least being a brat was better than letting his depression win, right?

"If that's all you had to say to me, you can leave now; I don't need your thanks." Picking his book back up, Kyouya turned back to the pages, uncomfortable with the younger; he was so used to being avoided, this whole situation still felt as alien to him as day one.

Fran nodded, his small feet padding quietly against the floorboards once he closed the door and went back to his own bedroom.

Kyouya sighed, appreciating the quiet once again; why couldn't it be like this all the time?

_**~~XX~~**_

"Fran told us what happened." Fon stood in the doorway with his arms folded against his chest. "He's really happy what you've done for him today. He said you made him eat, too."

Kyouya nodded, continuing his job of tidying up his bedroom. "He thinks he's fat. It is unhealthy of him to think like that, especially since he is the thinnest person I know."

"He might never stop believing that, so be patient with him." Moving further into the room, Fon came close enough to wrap his arms around his nephew. He hugged the younger tight for several seconds before he released the teenager, stepping back to give Kyouya the distance he would want. "Thank you for doing so well with them; I know it's not an easy thing for you to be doing."

"As I told the green herbivore, I don't do what I do to be thanked, uncle." Turning his back to the man, Kyouya closed his eyes. "I did what needed to be done, and no one should expect gratitude for that."

Fon nodded, knowing that Kyouya didn't need to be bothered anymore today; he had already done his part and there was no point in giving him the thank you he didn't want to hear. "I'll be in my room, Kyouya. Have a good sleep."

Kyouya hummed in response as he adjusted his stationary on the desk. He remained silent after this, a sign that he didn't want to talk anymore. His uncle nodded as he left the room, going to his own; he was very happy that the teenager was starting to come out of his shell, and he knew that having his girlfriend move in with him was the best move he could have made regarding the Prefect's social difficulties.

The man just wished he had taken Kyouya in sooner.


	11. Chapter 11

A bit over a year had passed since Kyouya had been forced to share his home, and in that time he had slowly come to learn to appreciate the people around him a little better. He had grown somewhat close – at least, as close as two people who conflicted could become – with Mukuro, spending more time with the blue-haired teenager than he did anyone save his uncle. He was very close to Fon, and it wasn't unusual to find them cooking together or sitting at the desk working on Kyouya's homework.

Today, the Prefect was getting ready for school. He still donned his black jacket, having refused to relinquish his title as Head Prefect, and was in the process of slinging it over his shoulders when his bedroom door opened and Mukuro stepped in, his hair having grown longer since he decided to grow it out.

"I am not going to school today, Kyouya." Informing the older male that they would not be walking to the blue-haired teenager's bus stop together today, Mukuro held a most expressive look on his face, such a change from the small, playful smile he always donned, no matter how he was feeling. "Mammon said that Belphegor is coming home from the hospital today, and we were all going out to see him."

Kyouya nodded in understanding; the blond's healing processed had encountered several complications over the months, leaving it as a very slow progression. In fact, he was certain from the last time he had gone to the hospital with Mukuro and Fran that the injured male was not ready to come home for a long time considering he was still in dire need of several surgeries he had been placed on a waiting list for; had Squalo finally convinced the nurses to let him take his kid home?

"Will you be going to school at all today?" Kyouya couldn't say he liked the idea of the younger two skipping classes, but he would make an exception for today; they had been waiting for this moment for a long time now, and there was no reason to make them hurt any more than they already did.

"Most likely not; Squalo is going to need a lot of help to keep Belphegor well, and it will be very stressful on them both; Mammon wants us to help out for a while."

Nodding once more, the skylark moved to his schoolbag, tenderly slipping textbooks inside of it as he went over what classes he had for the day. "Don't miss too many classes, herbivore."

Mukuro chuckled as he nodded, looking over his shoulder as he heard Fran call for him. He waited until the younger had approached him before he slung his arm around small shoulders, holding his friend close; while he had grown significantly taller, Fran hadn't grown much at all, making him look even smaller than he really was. "Are you ready to go, Fran?"

Fran nodded as he looked to Kyouya. He murmured a soft goodbye before he followed Mukuro from the room, leaving the skylark to himself. Kyouya didn't mind going to school by himself for once; it meant he would be left to his own thoughts as he walked, something he hadn't experienced in a while.

Shaking his head as a thought crossed his mind, Kyouya couldn't help but think that the younger two were rubbing off on him when he soon found himself wondering if Belphegor was going to be okay in the long run.

_**~~XX~~**_

"The pineapple herbivore said the blond herbivore is coming home today." Kyouya glared down at Tsuna and his friends, the small group sitting on the roof for their lunch break; it had become a habit for the Prefect to spend some of his lunchtime with the younger trio.

"Yeah, we already know." Tsuna smiled up at the skylark, poking at his bento lazily. "Mukuro told us a few days ago."

Agitated by these words, Kyouya growled, "Why didn't he tell _me_?"

"Because he knows you do not like Belphegor. He suspected you wouldn't care to hear the news so he didn't bother you with it."

Unable to deny that he was jealous Mukuro told the younger group and not him, Kyouya made a mental note to bite the taller male to death tonight; he hated feeling as if he were second best. "I would have listened to what he had to say."

"He knows that, too, but he didn't want to bother you because you were so busy. He was only trying to do the right thing."

Humming, Kyouya sat down next to the younger three, getting tired of standing. He sat next to Hayato, the silver-haired male sending him an annoyed glare as he puffed away at his cigarette.

"The pineapple herbivore had better not start spending all of his time with the blond herbivore..." Kyouya muttered, getting agitated at the thought of losing the closest thing he had to a friend.

"Belphegor was his friend, first," Tsuna reminded in a gentle manner.

"That's right!" Takeshi laughed as he raised his chopsticks to his mouth, taking a bite of sushi. "Besides, Mukuro wouldn't abandon you when you live together! And you can always hang out with us, Hibari; we never mind."

"He's going to be preoccupied with his stupid herbivore..." Kyouya muttered, envy wafting from him.

"If that's how you feel, why don't you go with Mukuro and help out with Belphegor?" the brunet suggested. "They would all be very grateful if you did that, and you can get to know them better."

"That herbivore was a nuisance before all this and he's still one now; I don't want to get to know him better when all he's done is cause problems for me and my school."

"He's really not that bad, Hibari," Takeshi promised. "He's only difficult because he doesn't like school and most students and teachers give him a hard time."

"He deserves it..." Hayato muttered, dislike clear in his voice. "I hate that creep..."

Kyouya listened in silence as Takeshi and Tsuna scolded their friend, having never really liked Hayato much, either; the silver-haired male was quiet, and seemed to hate everyone but Tsuna.

Finally deciding he had done enough socialising for his lunch break, the Prefect crept away, thinking over the younger's words; if he didn't want to lose Mukuro to that blond pest, he just have to accompany the younger male to the injured teenager's side, even if he didn't want to.

Having finally gotten a taste of what it was like to sort of want someone around him, Kyouya wasn't prepared to let go of Mukuro so easily, especially not to someone he didn't like in the least.

_**~~XX~~ **_

Finding himself standing outside of Squalo's home, Kyouya hesitated to walk up to the front door. When he finally did it, he knocked and waited only a few seconds before the door was opened and Mukuro was inviting him inside.

"I did not expect this, Kyouya." Putting his hand on his friend's arm, Mukuro smiled in appreciation. "Come in; we're all in the living room at the moment. Try not to be too loud; Belphegor has a bit of a headache."

Kyouya nodded, kicking his shoes off despite knowing it wasn't needed here; none of the others here were Japanese and didn't follow such customs unless they were guests themselves.

Stepping into the living room, Kyouya raised an eyebrow as he saw Belphegor sitting on his guardian's lap as Squalo fed him ever-so-gently what appeared to be mush. Fran was sitting beside them, his hand encased by the blond's as he watched the TV.

"His jaw still has not healed properly, even though it's been wired several times already." Mukuro sighed. "He cannot eat solids, and the nurses think his jaw may never heal properly with how long it has been."

Closing his eyes, Kyouya uttered, "Unfortunate."

"He has been through many complications, so his recovery is not very good." Moving to his friend's side, Mukuro caressed a pale cheek marred with faded scars. "He has been miserable for so long because his body is in such bad shape; it took a lot to convince the nurses to let Squalo bring him home."

Kyouya nodded, taking note of the way Belphegor's legs were dangled uselessly from Squalo's lap, his left arm hanging by his side as he rested heavily against the man's chest. He seemed to be using only his right arm, and even that was questionable as he was only twitching the fingers that were entwined with Fran's.

"It is time for his meal and then he will be put to bed for a rest." Mukuro sighed, his heterochromatic eyes casting a sad look. "Fran will lay down with him to keep him comfortable. Will you stay and help Squalo and I around the house?"

Kyouya shrugged, undecided as to what he wanted to do; he was only here to keep Mukuro away from Belphegor, but in this state, it didn't seem like he had much to worry about; the blond was utterly useless like this, not much fun at all.

Dark eyes watched as Squalo put the jar he had been feeding his charge out of onto the coffee table before he lifted the hem of the teenager's pyjama shirt to wipe food from his mouth. It was the most pitiful thing Kyouya had ever seen in his life, watching a seventeen-year-old being nursed like a baby, and he couldn't help but be relieved it was not him in that position.

"Come on, shithead..." Squalo muttered as he stood up, holding the blond close to him. "You need some sleep."

Fran was quick to scurry after them, following the man into Belphegor's bedroom and leaving Kyouya and Mukuro alone.

Rubbing his now-tired face, Mukuro mumbled, "I will do the dishes for Squalo... What can I expect from you, Kyouya?"

Shrugging again, Kyouya followed the younger into the kitchen. "I'll help, I guess..."

"Thank you..." Reaching out, Mukuro wrapped his arms around his friend. Kyouya tensed and stepped back, but he didn't otherwise react negatively; he had long-since grown used to the younger two embracing him.

Instead, the older male hesitated before he put his hand on Mukuro's arm, a sign they had both come to acknowledge as the skylark's way of saying he was uncomfortable with being touched for so long.

Breaking apart, the two moved to the kitchen in comfortable silence, ready to work on the small stack of dishes that were waiting for them.

_**~~XX~~ **_

When dinnertime rolled around, Kyouya sat on the couch as he watched Mukuro try and feed his friend through a straw in order to not cause any pain or discomfort to Belphegor. Squalo was in the kitchen with Fran, the two working on a meal for the rest of them.

It wasn't until the boy came out with two plates of food Kyouya had never encountered before did he speak again.

Taking the fork that Fran handed him next, Kyouya muttered, "What is this?"

"Fettuccini," Mukuro explained. "It's an Italian dish. Squalo doesn't often cook Japanese meals except for sushi."

Poking tentatively at the food in question, Kyouya took a deep breath; he wasn't sure how he felt about this, but trying it would be better than going hungry.

Fran came back with the last two plates, leaning against the blue-haired male as Squalo took over feeding his charge. A soft look crossed Kyouya's eyes when, just a few minutes later, Belphegor suddenly turned his head away, refusing to part his lips for the straw again, seemingly trying to tell his guardian he had had enough.

Leaving Belphegor propped up by the mountain of pillows, Squalo instead took his dinner from the coffee table and moved to the chair across from the younger ones. He ate in silence, his head ducked so no one could see the sadness on his face.

Deciding he didn't want to see this anymore, Kyouya turned to his food, bringing the first forkful to his mouth. He was tentative to try it, but upon discovering it was a nice change from what he was used to, he ate more.

Once everyone had finished their meals, Mukuro spoke up. "We should be getting home now. We will come out again soon, Squalo."

Squalo shook his head, standing up so he could snatch his car keys from the coffee table. "It's dark outside. I'll drive you. I've just got to get a neighbour to watch Bel, so meet me out by the car."

No one was in the mood to argue so, after giving the blond hugs goodbye, Fran and Mukuro headed outside, leaving Kyouya to stare at the injured teenager. Belphegor turned his head to return the look, a deep frown on his face.

"What are you looking at, herbivore?" Kyouya moved to look out of the window, finding the younger two standing by the sleek black Mercedes in Squalo's driveway while the man himself crossed the road in order to get a babysitter. Belphegor sniffed, his frown deepening as a few tears trailed down his cheeks. He dropped his head in an attempt to hide his weakness, but Kyouya wasn't stupid; he knew the other was shedding more tears.

Without another word, Kyouya left the house, going to wait with the younger two. It didn't take long at all for Squalo to return with someone in tow, and then they were on their way home.


	12. Chapter 12

"Uncle?"

Fon looked down at his nephew, the two sitting out in the living room together as the Prefect did his homework. "Yes?"

Pointing to the window, Kyouya's eyes narrowed as he watched Mammon pulling into the driveway with what was unmistakably a passenger in the front seat of her car. "Who is _she _bringing here?"

The man knew that his nephew still didn't like Mammon, viewing her as a trespasser, and he knew that if he told Kyouya what was happening, the younger would only become agitated – but did he really have a choice? There would be no hiding things from the student, after all. "Viper is doing a favour for her co-worker."

In a suspicious tone, Kyouya muttered, "What co-worker? What's she doing for them?"

Scratching his cheek, Fon said softly, "There's a big meeting for the heads of their company, but it's involving a lot of travelling and they won't be back home for about a week. Viper is head as well, but… Well, Squalo is second-in-charge of the company and _has _to attend, and clearly he can't be dragging Bel around with him, and his best friend couldn't take him, so –"

" – So _she _thinks she can just bring_ him _here?" Standing up in a huff, Kyouya snatched up his belongings. "No. I won't allow it, uncle. I don't care what you do with him; he is _not_ staying here."

"Kyouya, I know you're upset, but do you really think we can turn him away?" Fon started following the younger down the hallway, but he stopped when the sound of Kyouya's bedroom door slamming shut filled the air.

Instead, turning around with a sigh, Fon went outside to help Mammon. It upset him to know that Kyouya was so closed off and trusted a select few, but the skylark had been doing so well as of late that he had thought the other would tolerate the situation quietly.

However, it seemed that Fon had assumed wrongly.

_**~~XX~~**_

Kyouya hadn't come out of his room for several hours, not until Mukuro and Fran came home from school. He took one step into the living room before he found that the mere presence of Belphegor brought about the same responses crowding him did; he felt like he was about to throw up, and he wanted _out_.

Glaring at the boy propped upright on the couch by a mountain of pillows, Kyouya continued on to the front door so that he could greet the two younger teenagers walking up the path.

"Is there something you forgot to tell me?" Kyouya spoke in a hard tone, his eyes narrowed as he closed the distance between he and Mukuro. He ignored the way Fran tensed and ducked his head to make himself look smaller, focused solely on the tallest male.

"Excuse me?" Giving his friend a confused look, Mukuro tilted his head to the side. "What are you talking about?"

"Tell me why your stupid herbivore is in _my _home and no one bothered to inform me of this," the older male hissed. "He has no right to be here."

"Senpai's here?" Fran pulled away from the older two and went inside, with Mukuro close behind him. Kyouya just glared after the two, hating how they had so easily forgotten they were meant to be having a serious conversation and walked off.

"I knew that blond herbivore was nothing but trouble." Muttering to himself, Kyouya went back inside and straight to his room, angered by the sight of the two Kokuyo students doting on Belphegor as if he were their first puppy.

Kyouya didn't like to share, and he wasn't going to let the blond keep _his _herbivores to himself.

_**~~XX~~**_

A family gathering in the living room was something Kyouya had learned to tolerate, though it still made him uncomfortable nonetheless; his uncle had worked with him in order to find something that would allow the skylark to join in on movie and game nights, leaving the Prefect to have the couch all to himself so that he wasn't _too _crowded.

But with Belphegor here, Kyouya was agitated that his space was being intruded upon by someone who was _not _meant to be there.

"Ne, Master? That shoe is bigger than your dick."

Kyouya shuddered at Fran's words, finding the younger two sitting on the ground as they set up the monopoly board. He watched as Mukuro sent the boy a scathing glare, but the blue-haired teenager said nothing as he placed his shoe on the starting square.

"I'm glad you understand your size is nothing to be ashamed of, Master." Fran put the dog next to Mukuro's shoe, unaware of the skylark glaring daggers at him. "It's okay; senpai is smaller than you."

Unsure of why the two adults seated on the other side of the room were doing nothing about the conversation and instead watching TV, Kyouya knew he'd have to take things into his own hands; the younger two should know just how uneasy these sorts of topics made him.

However, before he could so much as devise what he was going to do about the situation, Kyouya twitched and turned on Belphegor once the other started sucking in air through the straw he was feeding with.

Not giving the older male a chance to correct the awkward position he was holding his cup to feed out of, Kyouya snatched it from the crook of Belphegor's arm. He was aware of everyone getting to their feet to intervene, but he didn't care; he instead pulled the lid off the cup and waved it in front of the injured teenager's face.

"Don't make such a ruckus in _my _home or I will bite you to death, herbivore," Kyouya growled. He narrowed his eyes as a stick-thin limb slowly reached out to take back Belphegor's meal, it shaking uncontrollably from the effort the blond was exerting. The older student made a soft, pitiful sound that Kyouya interpreted as a whimper, but it didn't deter the raven-haired male from slapping the trembling hand away before he dumped the cup over the other's head, covering Belphegor in liquid food.

"Kyouya!" Mukuro was the first to move, shoving his friend from the couch as he got in between the smaller two. His eyes burned with anger as he shouted, "Don't _ever _do that to him again! He is hungry and trying to eat, and now he cannot!"

"He shouldn't have been so loud."

The other three moved to mediate, Mammon and Fran helping raise Belphegor's arms in the air so that they could take his saturated shirt off. Kyouya wasn't oblivious to the scars on the other's arms and body that were unmistakeably old wounds from self-harm, but he didn't feel anything the way he did for Fran; he couldn't _stand _Belphegor, and he doubted he would bat an eyelid if the other killed himself.

"Kyouya, you had no right to do what you did," Fon scolded. "Hasn't he been through enough? Look at him."

Seeing the look of anger on Belphegor's face, the only thing Kyouya felt was surprise that the other could twist his lips into such a hateful sneer in his condition. He didn't care about anything but the fact that Belphegor _should not be here_.

Listening to Mammon telling Fran and Mukuro she was going to give the blond a bath, Kyouya turned around, changing the subject; this wasn't about him, after all. "Are you really going to let your girlfriend bathe another male, Fon? If you aren't careful, she might try and have sex with him."

Everyone stared at the Prefect in disbelief, having not expected such things from his mouth; did he really dislike Mammon and Belphegor that much?

"Kyouya, this sort of behaviour is _not _tolerated," Fon growled. "What is wrong with you? I _trust _Viper and I _know _nothing like that will happen between them. Go to your room. I'll talk to you about your behaviour soon."

"I don't need you to talk to me about my behaviour because I already know what I'm doing, Fon," the younger snapped back. "There's no need to talk to me about it because you never listened when I told you that I _don't _want him here! And _her! She's _still here, too!"

"Viper is here because it was up to _us, _and I _am _sorry you still feel like that towards her, but I am not going to kick her out just because you tell me to, Kyouya; I love her."

"Then at least get rid of _him_."

"And leave him alone and helpless until Squalo comes home? No. Have you not noticed how he can barely feed himself? How do you expect him to survive without someone with him?"

"He should have been left in that hospital. No one wants him so he can burden the nurses instead."

"Kyouya!"

Ignoring the others he _knew _he had pissed off, Kyouya turned back around and went to his room. Belphegor wasn't _his _problem, and he shouldn't have to put up with the older male coming into _his _home and taking everyone's attention like he was some sort of helpless kitten they had picked up from the streets.

No; Belphegor was only a detestable brat who made Kyouya feel conflicted about his feelings at times, and who seemed to make everyone around them force the skylark into interacting with him when he _didn't want to_.

_**~~XX~~**_

Snapping his eyes open an indeterminable amount of time later, Kyouya was frustrated that Mukuro had disturbed his nap; the younger two should have learnt by now not to wake him up.

"What?" Sitting up on his bed, the Prefect rubbed at his eyes.

"I wanted to ask you not to treat Belphegor so badly." It was clear that Mukuro was still upset about earlier, but at least he was being civil about it instead of getting angry. "He does not need to be treated so cruelly; he has copped enough of it in his life as it is. He does not have friends apart from us and Tsunayoshi's little group, and the only family he had is dead. The other students are cruel to him and it is sickening how some of the teachers talk to him. He does not need to feel as if he is unloved here because it is hard for him to feel safe and appreciated anywhere outside of his own home."

"This is _my_ home, and I don't want him coming here and taking away what I have." Turning his attention to the little bird hopping around by his head, Kyouya offered a small smile only for his pet.

Mukuro's eyes softened at this as understanding washed over him. He closed the distance between them, reaching out to wrap his arms around the smaller male. "Belphegor is my best friend, but you are important to me, too, Kyouya."

"I thought the _green herbivore _was your best friend." Kyouya sneered, not willing to let this go so easily; his home had been invaded, and no one seemed to understand this. "How can you care so much for someone so worthless?"

"You know, that is what Belphegor has been told his whole life; that he is worthless." Mukuro sighed. "He believes it, and you have no right to reinforce such lies in his fragile mind. He _is _my best friend; he got Fran and I out of that house and is the only other person who understands what we've been through. Everyone knows he has problems and he will not deny that, but I could not have asked for a better friend than what he gives us. He is so good with Fran, you would not believe it unless you saw it for yourself. He's been by our sides when we've been at our lowest and he helped give us the lives we have now – we will not abandon him now of all times, Kyouya, and if you cannot respect that, than I cannot respect _you_."

"I don't want him to have you, herbivore," Kyouya muttered. "He can go back to the hospital for all I care, but he _cannot _have you."

"There is no need to be jealous, Kyouya; I _am _trying to do the right thing by everyone." Mukuro ran the tips of his fingers down his face, his tired expression suddenly making him appear older than he really was. "You do not… understand… how hard this is for us all… Please… Why are you making it more complicated than it already is…? You are my friend, Kyouya… But I cannot be as close to anyone else as I am with Fran and Belphegor… No one else… understands… how we've held each other together… When you treat him as you are, it hurts _me, _Kyouya… And it hurts Fran, and Fon and Viper, too… But most of all, it hurts Belphegor… He's been through enough, Kyouya… Please… He's been through enough…"

Kyouya raised an eyebrow as the younger male started crying; why would Mukuro cry for someone else? Or… was it that he was crying for _all _of them, himself included? But _why _would he want to shoulder so many burdens that weren't even _his? _

"Why are you crying?" Kyouya couldn't help but sound stern, not used to seeing Mukuro like this; it was so rare to see the blue-haired teenager's defences slip, it made the skylark uncomfortable.

"Because you do not care that it is _my_ best friend you are making more miserable than he already is… You would not treat him like this if you had any respect for our friendship, Kyouya… I understand you are a closed off person, but he will only be here for a few days… He does not even _want _to be here, so why are you making this harder for him…? Can't you just… at least let him have some peace…? If Fran and I mean anything to you, you would leave him be…"

Watching as the other rubbed at his eyes with his sleeve, Kyouya stayed silent. Did he really have to tolerate someone he couldn't _stand _just to show he appreciated Fran and Mukuro? He wanted _nothing _to do with Belphegor, and everyone was supposed to have understood that.

So why…?

"I refuse to treat him as if he is someone I care about, herbivore," the skylark mumbled. "I do _not _care about him, and if he _dares _get the wrong impression and thinks we're friends or _anything _of the sort, I will not hesitate to hurt him if that's what it will take to show him otherwise."

"You will _not _lay a _finger _on him, Kyouya," Mukuro argued back. "You will _explain _to him your intentions if that is what you want to avoid; he is not a mind-reader, so how else is he supposed to interpret things?"

"_You _will explain to him; he's _your _friend."

"I am not going to be the one who hurts him further by telling him he is not good enough to be accepted for whom he is. You either tell him and treat him with a bit of respect, or we cannot be friends, Kyouya; I will not stand for anyone hurting Belphegor or Fran."

Unwilling to lose Mukuro to Belphegor, Kyouya grudgingly uttered an agreement beneath his breath before he laid back down on his bed, not in the mood to deal with anyone else right now; the Kokuyo student had better appreciate _this, _because Kyouya certainly wouldn't have let anyone else boss him around like the younger just did.

"I'm going back to sleep now," Kyouya warned. "Leave me be this time or I'll bite you to death."

Mukuro nodded, turning around to leave the room. He was surprised their fight hadn't turned violent as they often did, but he was glad; it meant that Kyouya obviously didn't want to lose what they had and was willing to try so they didn't drift.

_**~~XX~~**_

"Mukuro told us about your argument."

Kyouya turned to look at his uncle before he turned back to what he was doing at his desk. He shrugged, not a word leaving his mouth.

"He's right, though; you really _do _need to be kinder to people – Belphegor is no exception to that." Unfolding his arms from against his chest, Fon moved further into the room. "I wouldn't expect for you to like every single person you meet, but you haven't even given Bel a chance. He's only ever wanted to be loved and accepted, but it's very hard for him to find that. Give him a chance; you'll be surprised."

"How many times am I going to hear the same things over and over again?" Turning back around to face his uncle, Kyouya narrowed his eyes. "All I hear is, 'He has no friends; his brother's dead; he's been through a lot, and _woe _is _Belphegor_'."

"It's true, and you'll keep hearing it until it finally sinks in," Fon pointed out.

"Why should I care how he feels?"

"Because he's _bipolar, _and he _self-harms_. Do you have any idea of what we're trying to tell you, Kyouya? He's not happy with his life. He drowns his pain in videogames because he hates the loneliness that consumes him, and now he can't even do that; he's left to ponder on every little thing wrong with his life and there's nothing he can do to distract himself."

"What could _possibly _be so wrong in his life that those other two herbivores didn't go through worse?"

"Kyouya… Maybe he didn't suffer as much as them in the start, but now… He's got it worse. He _had _it worse before the accident. He had a handful of friends, and the only students who were nice to him led him on and used him for sex until they got bored of him and turned on him, just like everyone else. Even the teachers say really suggestive things to him, make lewd comments to his face when no one's around, and one teacher put their hands on him, Kyouya. He lives with guilt every day blaming himself for his brother's death, and he has to get through life knowing that no matter what he does, he's a social outcast who's lucky to get the slightest activity on his Facebook profile, let alone in real life. Fran and Mukuro don't have _half _the problems Belphegor has to face, so there's no reason for you to be acting as if he deserves to be treated as a lesser being than them. He's still a person with thoughts and feelings, just like us, Kyouya."

"I don't care how people treat him; he's never done anything deserving of my patience; you haven't seen how he is at school."

"He acts out because he hates school. I promise you that the things you've seen him do at school would never have occurred if he were somewhere he felt safe and accepted, even if he was simply with one person who treated him with respect. You need only ask Tsunayoshi and he will tell you how sweet Belphegor can be. This could be your chance to learn to interact with people better, and Bel may make a new friend out of it. I know it would be good for you both, Kyouya. Please give it a try."

"…" Knowing no one would leave him alone unless he obliged, Kyouya gave in, no matter how much he didn't want to. "Where is he?"

"He's asleep on the couch; we were going to put him in bed with Fran, but Squalo said he's having a lot of trouble sleeping so Viper and I thought it would be good to leave him where the TV is in case he keeps waking up."

Kyouya nodded, not caring much for this information. "And what do you expect for me to do, uncle? I am _not _his friend as I already stated today."

"It would be nice of you to help him eat his breakfast in the morning, especially since you deprived him of one meal already."

"He has a _straw_, uncle; what am I supposed to do? Suck his food out of it and then feed him mouth-to-mouth like a bird? _No_."

"Sit him up and help him get comfortable and hold the cup for him," Fon clarified. "He can only do so much with one working arm."

"That herbivore has got to be the most pitiful thing I have ever seen…" Kyouya muttered, closing the notebook he had been writing in. "I am going to bed, uncle."

"Goodnight, Kyouya." Fon backed out of the room, knowing that his nephew had had enough of this conversation and there was to be no more talking about it for tonight.

Hopefully Kyouya would think about what everyone was trying to tell him and come to realise that other people hurt as well, and that the skylark wasn't the only one who needed love and kindness in his life.


	13. Chapter 13

When Kyouya woke up the next morning, it was to the sunrise. He didn't stay in bed for long before he got up and left to head to the kitchen, breakfast on his mind.

However, an impulsive detour to the living room found that breakfast would have to wait.

It seemed that Belphegor and Kyouya were the only two awake so far, the blond having been lying peacefully on his side as he watched early morning anime. However, as soon as he noticed the skylark approaching, he made an uncomfortable sound and lifted the blankets over his head. Kyouya was quick to notice why; the damp patch on the blanket was evidence enough that everyone had neglected thinking about what to do when Belphegor needed the toilet through the night.

Furious that someone had the nerve to soil the couch, Kyouya ripped the blankets from the older male, revealing a distraught face looking back at him.

"You think you can get away with this?" Raising the damp patch into Belphegor's view, Kyouya growled when the other turned his head to try and hide his face against his pillow. Reaching out, the skylark grabbed a handful of blond locks and pulled as hard as he could to lift the scrawny boy's head up into the air. "I should bite you to death, herbivore."

Belphegor yelped out in pain as he twisted his head back and forth for a few seconds before a nasty grimace crossed his face and he smacked his head forward into Kyouya's face hard enough to make the Prefect let go of him. He then dropped his head back to the pillow, panting heavily as he lifted a trembling hand to curl his fingers into the soft material. All look of aggression was gone, replaced by one of defeat as tears started streaming down his face.

It was pitiful watching this, Kyouya knew, and he couldn't help but let his demeanour soften; he knew what it was like to feel helpless, having felt that way when he was a little boy at the mercy of his parents' hands.

In silence, Kyouya turned around and left the room, making his way to the laundry so that he could put the blanket in the washing machine. He turned it on before he went to fetch a clean blanket, and when he returned to Belphegor's side, he found the other hadn't stopped crying in his absence.

"You need to put fresh clothing on and move so I can clean the couch." Knowing he was expecting a miracle in saying such things, Kyouya started to grow uncomfortable as they stared at each other in silence.

With a sigh, the skylark leant down to grab the bag that was resting next to the couch, containing the blond's requirements. He sifted through the jars of mush and other personal items, soon coming across what was clearly a packet of nappies Squalo had knowingly included, but why had no one put one on Belphegor last night? It would have saved this hassle if someone had taken the initiative.

Taking one of the nappies from the bag, Kyouya spun back around. He glared at the injured male as he said, "Undress."

Belphegor sent the other a look of defiance before turning his head to the side, looking anywhere but at the younger male. Kyouya growled, moving closer so that he could take Belphegor's clothing off himself.

The blond made a loud, angry sound of protest as his good arm shot out, trying desperately to push the other off him. Kyouya ordered him to stay still, unwilling to touch soiled clothing, but also not wanting to let such hygienic matters be neglected any further; grabbing the waistband of Belphegor's pants, he started pulling them down.

"S-Senpai?!"

The skylark looked over his shoulder as he heard Fran's familiar cry, just in time to see a teal blur running at him. He remained stoic as small fists hit him repeatedly, unhurt and understanding; Fran had suffered trauma, and seeing such a suggestive thing before him must have triggered it.

"Get off my senpai!" Fran did his best to protect his boyfriend, but he was a scrawny, weak boy who didn't have much strength behind him; it was only too easy for Kyouya to grab his wrists and stop him. He sniffed as tears welled up in his eyes, whimpering, "Don't hurt my senpai…"

"I wasn't," Kyouya growled, agitated by the other's reaction. Grabbing teal locks, he yanked Fran's head downwards to show the other what he had been attempting to do. When understanding crossed emerald orbs, the skylark shoved the nappy into Fran's hands before standing up. "He's _your _boyfriend; _you _clean his mess up."

Fran was silent as he accepted the task. Kyouya was frustrated further to find that the blond wasn't resisting Fran's help, even if he did make small noises of protest when his hips were lifted and the nappy was slid beneath him. He was silent when his clothing was removed from his body, still as warm pyjamas were put onto him instead.

"Move him somewhere else so you can clean the couch, too." Kyouya watched as Fran tried to do what he was told, only to struggle beneath the older male's weight. He raised an eyebrow, knowing that Belphegor was nothing but skin and bones in his current condition, so was the teal-haired boy even weaker than he had originally thought?

"Kyouya-senpai…" Fran sighed, looking to the skylark for help. "He's too heavy…"

Rolling his eyes, Kyouya approached the two. He reached out, taking hold of Belphegor by the underarms. He pulled the blond from the couch, uncaring as the other's legs dragged across the ground uselessly. He dropped the older male onto one of the chairs, leaving him to try and push himself up into a more comfortable position with his one good arm.

"Give him that blanket on the ground and I'll put something through the blender for him." Kyouya didn't wait around to hear Fran's reply; he went straight into the kitchen, knowing that he may as well get Belphegor's breakfast out of the way before he had his own; as much as he wouldn't admit it, he knew what it was like to watch someone else eating while he had nothing to satisfy his own hunger.

Settling for making the other a smoothie for breakfast, the Namimori student made two extra ones while he was at it, one for him and one for Fran, too. When he brought them out to the living room, he wasn't surprised to find Fran curled up on Belphegor's lap, his head resting against the blond's chest as the oldest male dropped his face against soft teal locks, his arm wrapped about the boy's waist.

Clearing his throat in uneasiness, Kyouya put his own smoothie down on the coffee table before he approached the others. He gave one to Fran before he knelt before the chair, pressing the tip of the straw against Belphegor's lips. The blond boy made a disgruntled noise as he turned his head to the side, refusing to part his lips for the other; he had only ever had bad encounters with the Prefect, ones that were on par with some of the students who bullied him worst; there was no way he was going to trust his host now when he was at his most vulnerable and couldn't defend himself at all – he was to anyone's mercy, and all he could do was hope that his friends would keep him safe while he was away from Squalo.

Too agitated to keep this up, Kyouya all but threw the cup at Fran, not caring that some of it spilt; he wasn't going to sit here and try to help someone who obviously didn't want it from him.

As expected, Belphegor immediately cooperated, opening his lips just enough for the straw to slide past them. Kyouya growled as he snatched up his own smoothie, deciding that it would be the last time he tried to help their guest; he didn't have to respect someone who clearly didn't respect _him_, after all.

_**~~XX~~**_

It was nice to sometimes go with Fon into town and have lunch at a café together; the man had been busy as of late, so Kyouya had been happy to agree to his uncle's wishes of spending some time together, just the two of them.

Sitting down at a table outside, Kyouya waited patiently for the Chinese male to return with their orders. He watched the birds hopping around on the ground, picking up whatever leftovers they could find, feeling at peace with the familiarity of the situation; his own two pets had always been able to relax him, no matter how he was feeling.

"Here we go, Kyouya."

Looking down at the plate that had been put in front of him, Kyouya raised his chopsticks, pleased by the sight of his teriyaki chicken. "Thank you, uncle."

"You're welcome, Kyouya." Sitting across from the younger male, Fon poked at his meal for a few seconds, knowing he was hungry but not really in the mood for eating; he was worried about his nephew, hoping the Prefect wasn't about to relapse into the way he had been all that time ago; he had been making so much progress, but with Belphegor in the house, he seemed just as angry as he had been at the start. "How are you coping with things lately?"

"What do you mean?" Looking up at his uncle, Kyouya sent the man a questioning look. "I am fine. I'm still doing well at school if that's what you mean."

"I know," Fon said softly. "I was wondering along the lines of your friends. Is everything okay with them?"

The teenager nodded, replying after he had swallowed some of his food. "The Sawada herbivore has already invited me over after school tomorrow. I'm not sure if I'm going or not."

"How come?"

Shrugging, Kyouya said, "There are too many people in his home, and he's always flanked by the other two herbivores; it makes it even more crowded. He told me he was inviting all of his friends over, so there'll be too many there for me to be comfortable with."

"Are Mukuro and Fran going?"

"I think so."

"Why don't you go with them? It'd be good for you to get out of the house for a while."

"I'm thinking about it." Leaving it at that, Kyouya returned to his food, letting his eyes close as he relaxed.

"What about with Bel? How are things going with him?"

"I tried to do as you asked me and he wouldn't have it. It was a waste of my time and I could have spent it doing something worthwhile instead of treating a seventeen-year-old as if he were a helpless newborn."

"Keep at it; he doesn't know you well and it's hard for him to trust people. He's a lot like Mukuro, and yet you're friends with him now, aren't you?"

"The pineapple herbivore is not my friend; he is someone I have learned to tolerate and that's all."

"What's stopping you from tolerating Belphegor?"

"He doesn't respect me, so I won't respect him, either; he has never given me reason to respect him in the first place."

Fon sighed. "I know it's going to take a while, but he'll soon come to respect you if you _show _him you're someone worth respecting; he probably believes you're no better than his bullies."

Having never thought of things that way, it _did _make sense to Kyouya that someone used to being hated would automatically distrust everyone around them and draw away further whenever they saw something that confirmed their suspicions.

"Give it another try, okay?" Fon requested. "Maybe spend some time with him when Mukuro and Fran are around so he's more at ease."

Nodding, Kyouya decided that if he, too, had the younger males by his side, then he also would feel better about being around someone he didn't know well.

Perhaps it had been the same for Belphegor all along and Kyouya just hadn't realised it.

_**~~XX~~**_

While waiting for dinner to be cooked that night, Kyouya went into the living room to watch TV while he waited. He stopped and blinked as he found Mukuro and Fran holding Belphegor up on legs that looked as if they'd buckle under the slightest weight; why were they doing this when they knew he couldn't stand?

"What are you doing?" Kyouya came closer to them, his eyes narrowed.

"Trying to put muscle back in his legs so he can move a bit more," Mukuro explained. "He just cannot move his legs because he has been bedridden for so long. This will be good for him, Kyouya."

"Can you not see the strain you're putting on him?" Kyouya pointed to the blond, surprised the youngest two were ignoring the way their friend panted heavily as sweat dripped down his face from the effort it was taking him to move like this. "You are not medical professionals; you're probably doing him more harm than good."

"He will be fine, Kyouya; he can handle this. I would not do it to him if he could not – Belphegor!" Mukuro's eyes widened as he shot forward, trying to grab the teenager he had accidentally dropped.

Kyouya growled as the blond fell into him, uncomfortable with the situation but holding Belphegor against him nonetheless. He dragged the older male over to the chair, sitting him on it and pretending he didn't notice the confused look on the injured boy's face as Belphegor stared at him, trying to comprehend why the skylark had shown him more care than Mukuro and Fran had.

"You should know that you never put him in the deep end like that," Kyouya scolded, not even sure of why he was having this conversation; just that he didn't want to hear Mukuro whine if Belphegor suffered more damage to his legs because he hadn't been smart enough to leave him be. "You work him gradually with small exercises to build his strength; not expect a miracle."

Mukuro sighed, knowing his friend was right. "I apologise, Belphegor…"

Kyouya grabbed the cup of moosh that had been placed on the coffee table, holding it out to Belphegor. The other didn't seem to notice the straw that was coming ever closer to his face because, as soon as the straw brushed against his lips, he recoiled and turned his head to the side, flinching.

Trying his hardest not to let his temper get the better of him, Kyouya held his hand still, letting the other slowly turn his head and study him. It took several minutes of the blond watching him before he parted his lips, hesitantly allowing the skylark to feed him. The older male's obscured eyes never once left Kyouya's dark ones, sucking slowly as the cogs turned in his mind, trying to understand why the younger male was being nice to him all of a sudden.

"You should feed him before playing doctor with him…" Kyouya muttered, reaching out to pull the blanket back over the injured teenager's lap. "And keep him warm. Some friend you are, pineapple herbivore…"

Mukuro remained silent, knowing he should have been a better friend, but he had only wanted to help Belphegor get better, had only had good intentions; would Belphegor understand that or not in such a bad condition?

Reaching out, the blue-haired teenager wrapped his arms around his best friend, hugging the blond as tight as he could without causing the other any pain or discomfort. "I am very sorry, Belphegor…"

Dropping his head onto the younger's shoulder, Belphegor lifted his arm to wrap around Mukuro's torso. He let out a sigh, wishing with all his being that he was able to talk – but _would _he ever talk again? His nurses didn't think he would with the way his jaw refused to heal.

As if Kyouya knew what his guest was thinking, he disappeared back into his own room in order to grab an unused notepad and a pen from his desk. He returned to the others' sides, as stoic as ever as he shoved his belongings at Belphegor.

The blond was hesitant to take what he was being handed, unable to stop himself from crying. Letting himself sob quietly felt like the only thing he was doing anymore, but fuck it, he was more miserable than he had ever been in his _life, _and he just wanted someone to put him out of his suffering by any means necessary. Why did people have to play hero and pull him out from beneath the truck? Why couldn't they have just left him there to die? Sure, the pain he had been in was excruciating, but it was that agonising, it had made him faint; surely he would have died unconscious, unfeeling of the pain?

Dropping the notepad onto his lap, Belphegor struggled to grip the pen; it was only with Fran's help was he able to write a note on the paper in handwriting that showed just had badly the accident had affected him, both physically and mentally; instead of the blond's neat, cursive handwriting that was always perfect in whatever language he chose to write in, it was nothing but scratch similar to a six-year-old's writing, with errors scattered all over the place; his head had been as damaged as the rest of him and it was lucky the brain damage hadn't left him as a vegetable.

Upon seeing what the oldest male had written, Fran started crying, Mukuro hugged his friend tighter than ever, and Kyouya suddenly felt angry towards everyone and anyone for what had happened to the older male. There, a note that Belphegor couldn't _possibly _have written because damnit, he had always been praised as a genius and had handwriting his classmates envied him for…

A note sat on Belphegor's lap with three words scratched onto it; _plese keel me. _

Kyouya had never been around this kind of thing before, not even with Fran – he had never had someone so blatantly ask for him to end their life before, and he _hated _it.

Grabbing a handful of blond hair, Kyouya yanked hard as he forced the older male to look at him. "You made it _this _far, herbivore; there's no backing out now."

Belphegor just continued to cry, and Kyouya couldn't understand why he suddenly wanted for the other to be okay. Was it because seeing now for himself how Belphegor had suffered so cruelly, the older male just wanted to throw in the towel made him feel as if he had to show the other there was still plenty to live for? The skylark couldn't agree with that mindset; he had been through a lot himself, but he had never wanted to die over it; he knew he was lucky to be where he was when so many other people didn't have that luxury. People fought for their lives in hospitals every day, some over lesser things than what Belphegor had been through, and they weren't always as lucky as the student; they died, losing the life they had so desperately wanted to keep, and here the blond was, trying to throw away what he had been more than lucky to keep.

Pulling away from the distraught boy, Kyouya went back to the bag sitting by the couch. He opened it and rummaged through everything once again, searching for the iPod he had seen earlier. When at last he found it, he connected the earphones to the device and then turned it on, clicking the same playlist he had seen Fon do at the hospital all those months ago.

"Here." Sliding the buds into Belphegor's ears, Kyouya then handed the iPod to its owner, watching as crooked digits immediately closed around the object, holding it close as if it were the only thing keeping him together. "You shouldn't cry; you should be grateful you're still alive."

These words did nothing for Belphegor, but when the Prefect stood up to leave the room, he reached out, grabbing hold of the other's sleeve to keep him from leaving. He continued to cry, his chest heaving with emotion, but his wish was clear; he didn't want to be alone.

Kyouya found himself obliging, untangling digits that may never lay straight again so that he could sit on the couch. Mukuro joined him while Fran shared the chair with his boyfriend, and not one of them was oblivious to the anxious way the blond would look over at them to make sure they were still there.

The skylark may never fully understand why this was, but seeing the way Belphegor calmed only to having people around him made him want to stay and stop the slightly taller male from ever crying again and teach him to appreciate the life he had been allowed to keep.


	14. Chapter 14

Within the week that had passed by, Kyouya had slowly found himself tolerating Belphegor bit-by-bit with each day, and was coming to accept the blond for whom he was; a broken teenager who had only wanted love and affection but instead was cursed with pain and suffering. It was certainly different looking after him than Mukuro and Fran, but the skylark understood; the youngest two had been lucky in that their lives had improved greatly ever since Mammon took them in, but Belphegor's had steadily grown worse for him.

Today, while Namimori Middle had the day off school, Kyouya was sitting at home while Mukuro and Fran still had to attend Kokuyo. He was in the living room with Belphegor, reading a book while the blond watched TV. The Prefect's attention was soon drawn by the other emitting a soft whimper, and immediately Kyouya understood that the older male was in pain.

Getting up from the couch, Kyouya moved to his guest's bag. He grabbed the bottle of acetaminophen and the dropper from inside it, standing back up to sit on the edge of the couch. Unscrewing the cap, the younger male was cautious about how much medicine he filled the dropper with, knowing that an overdose would cause serious damage if it didn't kill Belphegor first.

"Open." Holding the dropper by pale lips, Kyouya was pleased when the other didn't hesitate to do as told; the skylark wasn't entirely sure of what he had done, but _something _had changed between them to allow the blond to trust him with things like this. Squeezing the medicine out of the dropper and into Belphegor's mouth, he waited patiently until the thinner male stopped licking at the object and pulled his mouth away, a silent explanation that he had gotten every last bit.

Putting his hands on shaking shoulders, Kyouya pushed the other back down onto his back before covering him with the blanket, knowing that exerting himself so much wasn't good for the older male. Returning back to his spot, it fell silent once again, something the Prefect was very much enjoying.

The peaceful atmosphere was broken just ten minutes later when the doorbell rang and Mammon came from somewhere in the house to answer it. Kyouya glanced to his left to see who was here, only to turn back to his book, uninterested at the sight of Squalo stepping into the house.

"How's he been?" Squalo was quiet, anxiety clear in his voice as his eyes darted towards the living room. "He has trouble feeding sometimes; has he eaten okay?"

"He's been fine, Squalo," Mammon reassured her friend. "He's had plenty of love and rest."

Squalo nodded, not entirely convinced until he saw his charge for himself. Stepping into the living room, his usually-hard eyes softened as he found Belphegor struggling to push himself upright. He quickened his pace, kneeling by the couch as he reached out to embrace the boy tight. The blond made a soft noise as he returned the hug, his fingers curled tight into the man's black jacket as if he never wanted to let go again.

"Fuck, I missed you, brat…" Squalo murmured, threading his gloved fingers through hair that had once shone a radiant gold but now was nothing but dirty, matted locks. "I couldn't bring you with me because it wouldn't have been very good for you."

Hiding his face against his guardian's shoulder, Belphegor made another noise as he tried to will his body into moving closer; there was no one he loved more than Squalo, no one that could make him feel as safe and as loved as the long-haired man did.

Kyouya watched the two, not understanding why he felt warm watching their interactions; was it because he wasn't used to seeing such genuine love? His own parents had certainly never acted this way with _him, _and he had to admit it came as a bit of a surprise to see such a strong bond between two people who weren't even _blood-related_; how could these two love each other more than some parents did their own kids? Belphegor had been a street urchin, taken in by someone who would still have been a teenager himself at the time; perhaps their relationship was more brotherly than one of a parent-child?

But… Come to think of it, Kyouya had never seen Mammon act this way towards her own kids – in fact, they hardly interacted at all anymore because the two younger teenagers were always with Kyouya or Tsunayoshi's group. Was _that _normal behaviour? It was certainly closer to what _Kyouya _had experienced, but he could tell that in her own way, Mammon _did _care about Mukuro and Fran, though he might not go as far as to say she _loved _them; she was such a distant person, he wasn't even sure if she loved _Fon _or not.

"Look at what I have for you, Bel."

Kyouya was snapped out of his thoughts by Squalo's voice, finding the man pulling something out of his jacket pocket.

"I got you some chocolate milk." Squalo shook the bottle before he twisted the cap, a gentle expression crossing his face as he noticed the way Belphegor had immediately perked up and smiled brightly at these words. "Want to try and have some without a straw today? You don't need that shit, Bel."

Belphegor nodded, letting his lips part. He reached out, gripping his guardian's sleeve as he tipped his head back slightly, letting the bottle ghost against his lips. He moaned softly as he relished the taste of his favourite drink, swallowing everything he could get into his mouth in a greedy manner. He refused to let go of Squalo's sleeve, tugging him closer as he tried to tell the other he wanted more; it had been so long since he had had chocolate milk, it tasted better than he ever remembered it being.

When Belphegor finally turned his head to break away from the treat, Squalo put the cap back on the bottle and placed it in the bag by his feet. He chuckled at the milk that slowly rolled down a pale chin, reaching out to wipe it away with his thumb.

"I'll give you some ice cream when we get home, too." Squalo didn't mind the single arm that wrapped around him again in joy, unmoving as the boy pressed his lips to his cheek; it didn't bother him, having long-since gotten used to the other's strange shows of affection. "You can't have too much, though, alright?"

Rubbing his cheek against Squalo's, Belphegor purred in delight, loving when the silver-haired male spoiled him; it made him feel special, and like life was worth living if it meant having someone there to shower him with the affection he had forever craved.

Kyouya didn't understand why the older male was suddenly acting as if everything was lollipops and rainbows; the blond had done nothing but cry for the past week and now he was like a kitten; did he really love Squalo that much? But why hadn't he acted like this around Fran or Mukuro?

It was then Kyouya wondered; if Belphegor had been taken in just like _he _had been by his uncle, why was it that the blond could be so open with Squalo while Kyouya was still as closed off as ever? The other student had clearly had a very hard time with life, but he still seemed to be childish and innocent around his guardian, whereas Kyouya refused to allow himself to so much as _hint _that he appreciated his uncle as much as he did.

"Squalo, you look exhausted."

Kyouya blinked and looked back to Mammon, finding the woman putting her hand on her friend's shoulder.

"You haven't been sleeping, have you?"

Squalo shook his head, too tired to deny this. He shrugged before he lifted his hand again, patting blond locks gently. "I've been too busy to sleep, and this shithead here…" Dropping his cheek against his charge's head, the man sighed. "I've been worried about him; I just got him out of the hospital and then I had to leave him again…"

"He's been fine," Mammon promised. "Sleep on the couch before you leave; you look like you'll fall asleep any minute."

Squalo nodded, moving so that he could lie back on the couch. He let Belphegor squirm around for a few seconds before he relaxed, the boy's head resting on his strong chest with crooked fingers gripping tightly to Squalo's jacket.

Caressing the younger's head, Squalo was fast to fall asleep, absolutely exhausted from so many sleepless nights. Belphegor didn't take long to follow after him, at peace now that he was back with his guardian.

Kyouya watched them for a few minutes before he stood up and went to his room, making a mental note to tell Fon that he appreciated him the next time he saw his uncle. He hadn't thought of it before, but having watched the older two had made him realise that he was taking the handful of people close to him for granted; he was constantly pushing them away and putting barriers around himself to stop him from getting hurt, but what if something happened and he never got a chance to truly become close to them? For all this time he had used his parents' treatment as a scapegoat for the way he was, but having seen that Belphegor didn't hesitate to _show _how much he loved, even after everything he had been through…

Was it possible that one day Kyouya, too, would be able to smile and act so freely around the ones he cared for most?


	15. Chapter 15

**One reviewer left a suggestion I liked, so I will be pulling down the TYL chapter and going back to pre-TYL. Also, another reviewer requested 6918. Would everybody be happy with that? It won't be anything graphic; just some fluff. **

When a few days passed by and Kyouya found himself standing in Fon's bedroom, trying to convince the man he _didn't _need to accompany Fran to his therapy appointment and miss _school _of all things, the skylark was quick to grow agitated; why was his uncle always pushing him into things he was uncomfortable with?

"He has legs; he can _walk, _uncle." Adjusting his black jacket so that it wasn't in danger of falling off, Kyouya narrowed his eyes. "It'll take him ten minutes to walk from his school, and the pineapple herbivore can follow him if he really needs someone to go with him."

"Kyouya, you've been so good the past couple of days," Fon pointed out. "Surely you can take time off school to take Fran into town; you know how he gets around traffic now."

"As I said, the pineapple herbivore can take him; I am _not _catching a bus to the next town over when there is someone else who will be more conveniently placed."

"Mukuro has tests all day; he can't miss them."

"Then _you _take him."

"Viper and I are working all day and we can't get time off or else we would." The older male's expression softened, knowing he was expecting a lot from his nephew; school was what Kyouya loved the most, and asking him to skip it for someone else… "Please, Kyouya; he's scared of being involved in another accident."

With a sigh, Kyouya narrowed his eyes further. "Fine," he growled, knowing the other wouldn't leave him alone until he agreed. "What time do I need to get him from school?"

"By lunch. He'll most likely come home after his appointment so you'll have to bring him back if that's the case."

The Prefect made a strangled sound, angered greatly by the fact that the teal-haired boy was not taking school seriously; why would _anyone _want to come home after an appointment instead of going back to school? It wasn't that Fran was stupid – no; the boy was honestly very smart when he wanted to be – but school was important for everyone and not something to take so lightly.

"I'm going to my room," Kyouya muttered, not understanding why he was feeling so agitated it made him want to tear up; was it because of Fran's blatant lack of respect for school? Or because he was truly getting tired of being forced to act like a saint? Sure, he appreciated whom he _knew _were his friends, even if he wouldn't admit it to anyone, but did he want to be pushed into doing things with them when there were more important goals in his life?

Shaking his head, Kyouya closed his door behind him in a gentle manner, knowing not to take it out on the house; it wasn't the _house's_ fault people had a habit of forcing him into things.

Back in his own room, Fon shook his head silently, knowing it wasn't good to be pushing his nephew around all the time like this, but he only had good intentions; he could see how far Kyouya was coming after being neglected for so long, and there was nothing more he wanted than to see the teenager continue to progress – he _never _wanted to compromise the other's happiness, but sometimes Kyouya needed to be taught that he had to lend a hand to others when they needed it.

_**~~XX~~**_

Walking to the bus stop together was something the three teenagers had been doing for a while now, and though Kyouya was usually quiet on any given day, it did concern the blue-haired teenager to see his friend held a different emotion in his eyes today, one that wasn't quite anger or sadness, but something that seemed like a mix between the two – why that expression was present, he wasn't sure; he couldn't think of anything that could have occurred that morning to cause any distress to the older male.

"Are you alright, Kyouya?" Observing the other with a closer eye, the blue-haired male couldn't help but notice that there seemed to be a slight damper on the smaller male's mood; while Kyouya always carried himself in a prideful manner, there was something more than just a look in his eyes that hinted at the skylark being upset, even if Mukuro couldn't put his finger on what it was.

Kyouya nodded, blinking the haze out of his eyes. "I am fine. Why?"

"You seem a little down today. Did something happen?"

Kyouya shrugged. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Are you feeling sad?" Fran, who had been so quiet from beside his foster brother's side, blinked his emerald orbs at the Prefect. "You look sad, because usually you look like you're going to kill anyone who even looks at you. That's not a nice thing to make people think; no wonder you don't have any friends."

Kyouya bit his tongue from reprimanding the boy; in Fran's weird way, he was only trying to make the people around him a bit cheerier; the teal-haired male just happened to have a very... _unique _sense of humour. "...I am not _sad_, herbivore. What gives you that idea?"

"Fran is right, Kyouya; you _do _look upset." Mukuro stepped closer, putting his hand on his friend's shoulder. "If you wish to talk to someone, you can always talk to me; I am a good listener. So is Fran."

"I don't have anything I need to talk about as I am perfectly fine." Letting his eyes slip closed, Kyouya wasn't entirely sure of why his own words hurt him; it would be nice to talk to someone about his problems, but could he really trust the younger two with his deepest feelings so soon? Of course not; he had been alone with his problems for so long, he still couldn't really even talk to _Fon_ properly, let alone two people he had once been on bad terms with.

Mukuro looked down at Fran, knowing that Kyouya was _not _okay, but he couldn't force the other to talk to him; he knew what it was like to want to keep things to himself at times, so he couldn't fault his friend for that – there were some things better left unsaid, after all. "If you ever change your mind, you know where to find me."

Kyouya nodded, continuing on their journey to the bus stop. He didn't care much for what the younger two were talking about, instead feeling as if he were fatigued, something that had been slowly creeping up on him more and more over the past couple of weeks.

"Kyouya-senpai?"

Fran's soft voice drew Kyouya's attention, the skylark finding worried emerald eyes looking up at him.

"You're definitely coming to get me from school, right?" The anxiety in the boy was clear as his voice wavered and he fumbled with his hands; he must be terrified by the idea of going alone. He swallowed thickly as the other nodded, his fidgeting increasing. "Can… Can we take a taxi back home after…? I don't want to get on the bus again today…"

Kyouya nodded again, his gaze never softening despite the fact that he _did _feel slightly sorry for the boy; he couldn't imagine what it was like to have to play such a horrific scene over and over again in his head. "You're paying for it, though."

Fran opened his mouth to protest, his eyes taking on a sad expression as the fact that he didn't have any money crossed his mind. He made a soft noise as Mukuro nudged his arm, soon accepting the cash his foster brother was handing him. He smiled slightly in appreciation, knowing he could always count on the tallest of the trio.

It wasn't until they arrived at the bus stop did Kyouya's fatigue grow; watching the way Fran's anxiety skyrocketed did nothing but exhaust him to the point he was sure he would tear up if he had lesser control of himself; Fran's negativity at times was far more draining than anything he had encountered previously - especially when the other had been so traumatised by something he had seen, he couldn't help but panic at the slightest thing that could possibly cause a repeat incident.

"M-master, no...!" Fran shot out as Mukuro moved to the kerb, pulling the older male back with a loud whimper. "You'll get hurt!"

Mukuro smiled in understanding as he stepped back, patting the youngest on the head as he did so. He looked over at Kyouya, finding the other looking at the ground. He was concerned for his friend, but he knew the skylark well enough to know that accusing him of being upset was only going to make things worse.

Sitting down on the bench with Fran next to him, Mukuro awaited the bus in silence, hoping Kyouya was going to be alright.

_**~~XX~~**_

It wasn't until later that night when Fon came home from work did he realise that something was wrong; when Mukuro asked to talk to him in private, he knew it would be about Kyouya; the skylark could really throw a fit when he felt he was being talked about behind his back.

"I think something has upset Kyouya," Mukuro explained once they had safely locked themselves in the man's bedroom. "He has been very distant today, even more so than usual. He is distracted, too."

Fon nodded, offering a smile to the teenager. "I'll go and talk to him. Thank you, Mukuro."

Mukuro was silent as he left the room, returning to his own; he knew he could trust Fon to handle things, and that he was the best person for the job; if Kyouya was going to let anyone help him, it would be his uncle.

Fon was quick to go to his nephew's bedroom. He knocked on the door before he entered, and the first thing he saw was the teenager curled up in his bed, fast asleep. It was normal for the skylark to nap, but the man knew the other's routine well enough to know that right now, Kyouya should have been doing his schoolwork.

"Kyouya?" Moving closer to the younger, Fon reached out. He shook his charge gently, repeating his nephew's name. "Kyouya."

The younger's eyes opened slowly, blinking a few times before Kyouya lifted his head from the pillow. His onyx orbs were clouded, and Fon wasn't entirely convinced it was just from sleep. "What...?"

"Are you feeling okay?" Fon reached out, pressing his hand against his nephew's forehead. "It isn't like you to be sleeping."

Kyouya shrugged. "I'm fine. I'm just tired."

Fon wasn't convinced, but he didn't push. Instead, he said, "I promised the boys I would take them out for ice cream. Would you like to come with us?"

Kyouya shook his head, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep. "No."

"It might be nice for you to get out for a while; it won't do you any good to lay here and sleep."

Not sure why these words annoyed him so much, Kyouya cracked open an eyelid to glare at his uncle. "Are you trying to say you know better than I do what's good for me and what isn't? I'm really starting to get sick of you always telling me what to do."

"Kyouya, I'm not trying to force you into anything you don't want; I'm just saying it isn't good to nap more than you already do."

"I don't want ice cream, uncle; I don't even_ eat _ice cream."

"We can go to a teahouse afterwards, just for you," Fon promised. "The boys won't mind, and it would do all of you some good."

With a sigh, Kyouya shrugged, unable to find the motivation to continue arguing the point; if agreeing with Fon was what it would take to get the man to leave him be for a while, he was going to have to do it. "Fine."

The older male hated forcing his nephew like this, but what other choice did he have? It was clear that something was wrong with his nephew, and he was going to fix it now before it grew any worse; with a background like Kyouya's, Fon wouldn't be surprised if the teenager was developing depression.

"Go and get yourself ready; we're going to leave soon." With that said, Fon turned around and left, knowing that his nephew would appreciate being left alone after their conversation.

_**~~XX~~**_

Kyouya couldn't have been more relieved when they left the ice cream parlour in favour of a teahouse; he hadn't enjoyed sitting there at all with nothing to do except listen to the sounds of young kids squealing and making a fuss, so he welcomed the blissful quiet the teahouse offered them with open arms.

Sitting at one of the tables towards the back, Kyouya sipped peacefully at his tea while Fon sat beside him, doing much the same. Mukuro and Fran had disappeared somewhere in the building, leaving the two to themselves.

"You look calm," Fon observed, glad to see that his nephew wasn't looking upset anymore; it honestly hurt him to know the other wasn't feeling happy, and he would do whatever he could to fix it.

Kyouya shrugged. "I am comfortable with this setting, uncle."

"Because it's quiet?"

"Because it's familiar." Looking further into the building, Kyouya sighed as he caught sight of Mukuro and Fran approaching them once again, the two returning from whatever they had been doing. "There are no other herbivores around; just you."

It was no secret that Kyouya most enjoyed his uncle's company, and it warmed Fon's heart to know this; he loved his nephew with all his heart, and to know that Kyouya appreciated him the most couldn't have made him any happier than it already did. "I am happy to hear this, Kyouya; I enjoy spending my time with you, as well. Do you need help with your homework tonight? I will be free after I finish off some of my own work."

"I never need help, uncle; I just like to hear your point of view on things."

Fon smiled as he reached out, pulling his nephew into a one-armed embrace. "I love you, Kyouya."

Humming in response, Kyouya waited until he had been released from the hold before he muttered, "...I appreciate you, too, uncle..."

Fon knew it was the closest declaration to love he was going to get, so he settled with it. He just hoped that whatever was bothering the younger wasn't going to force him to take steps backwards – not when he was doing so well lately.


	16. Chapter 16

It was a few days later when Kyouya cried for the first time in years. He had been sitting in his room with Roll on his lap, listening to music as he heard the other occupants of his home moving around and talking; from what he could make out, Fran was upset about something and didn't seem to want to be consoled. It was Mukuro coming into his room and seeking his help that agitated him to the point of tears.

"Kyouya, I need you to help me with something." The younger male closed the door behind him, his heterochromatic eyes shining with frustration.

"If it's about that green herbivore out there, I'm not doing it," Kyouya declared, feeling his bird settle on his shoulder. "I can hear him from here; if he won't let you help him, what am _I_ supposed to do?"

"Can you talk to him, please? He might listen to you." Running spidery fingers through his soft blue locks, Mukuro sighed.

"What is even wrong with him?" Knowing that the youngest had been fine that morning, Kyouya wondered what had happened to set him off like this; it was unusual for Fran to get like this without something happening first.

"He cannot go and see Belphegor because Fran has a cold, and Belphegor cannot afford to get sick before his surgery tomorrow. Fran is upset because he really wanted to go and see him today."

"What a ridiculous reason to throw a temper tantrum." Kyouya moved further back on his bed, making a point that he wasn't getting up to get involved in something so petty. "Tell him to stop it before I bite him to death for causing such unnecessary ruckus."

"Can you please talk to him?" Mukuro moved closer, his hands fumbling with one another. "He doesn't want to listen to any of us."

"I'm not doing it." Feeling a thin string somewhere inside of him start to fray, Kyouya clenched one hand, fighting against himself in order to not get up and grab his tonfa and beat the shit out of Mukuro for bothering him with something he didn't care about. "I am not wasting my energy on something that is useless. Leave him be so that he calms down on his own."

"Kyouya, if you will just talk to him, I know he –"

"Leave me _alone_, herbivore!" Kyouya snapped, unable to hold his temper back at this moment; he was truly tired, and constantly being treated without respect for his own wishes… He had had enough of people not caring when he said no – he had gotten it enough back when he still lived with his parents, and he certainly didn't need it here. "If I say I'm not doing it, I'm _not _doing it! Stop _asking, _herbivore!"

Mukuro flinched, having not expected for his friend to shout at him like this; Kyouya had _never _shouted at _anyone _before, and knowing how close they had become... "Kyouya..."

Reaching up to wipe at his eyes, Kyouya sniffed as tears of frustration rolled down his cheeks. He tensed his body, ducking his head to hide his weakness, hissing, "What is it with everyone always forcing me into things? When I say no, I _mean _it, but no one seems to get that. No one seems to respect my limits, my boundaries... I say no for _reasons, _pineapple herbivore... In this case, I saw no point in talking to the green herbivore as nothing I could say would settle him, but instead you insisted. You've ranted at me before about respect, but where is _my _respect, herbivore? I say no because I respect _myself_ the most – not _you, _or _Fon, _or _anyone _else."

Mukuro dropped his head, hating that he was the reason his friend was crying like this. He didn't know what to say, having never considered the idea that perhaps he was too pushy with Kyouya; the skylark had never before said anything like this, and he had had no _idea...! _

"...I am very sorry, Kyouya..." Mukuro whispered, backing away from the smaller make. "...I sincerely apologise..."

Raising his hand to point at his door, Kyouya growled, "Get out. Get _out, _herbivore."

Mukuro didn't need to be told twice; it had been a long time since he had felt threatened by his friend, and the last thing he wanted was for them to go back to fighting like they once had.

Heading back to his own room, Mukuro fought back his own tears; he and Fran must not be the only ones in the house with their own problems. It had been so wrong of him to assume that _was _the case.

_**~~XX~~**_

Having slept for most of the day, Kyouya didn't wake up in a good mood; he felt more fatigued than usual, and every little thing that he normally didn't mind was bothering him.

Getting out of his bed, Kyouya wandered out to the living room, finding the darkened room seemed void of any signs of life; with the sun setting and apparently no one else home, what was going on? Where had everyone gone?

Heading back to the hallway, Kyouya stopped by Mukuro and Fran's bedroom, finding that it was empty as well, leading him to wonder just what had happened; it was not normal to find everyone gone without explanation.

Returning to his own room, Kyouya grabbed his phone from the bedside table, dialling his uncle's number. It rang only a few times before the call was answered, Fon's tired voice greeting him.

"Where are you?" Kyouya couldn't keep the grumpy tone from his voice, picking at the hem of his shirt as he waited for a reply.

"Oh, Viper and I took the boys to the hospital to see Bel." Fon mumbled something to someone in the background before he turned his attention to his nephew once again.

"I thought his surgery was tomorrow and the green herbivore wasn't allowed to see him."

"Squalo called and said there was a cancellation, so Belphegor got in this morning. We still don't want to get him sick while he's trying to recover, so we won't be here for long."

Kyouya hummed at these words, finding that they only agitated him further. "Why did no one see if _I_ wanted to come?"

"Be honest, Kyouya; _would _you have come if we asked?" There was a knowing tone in the man's voice, one that Kyouya couldn't argue with.

"No."

"That's why. We'll be home soon." With that said, Fon ended the call.

Kyouya didn't know why all of this bothered him as much as it did; it frustrated him greatly, and he felt so agitated he couldn't help but toss his phone carelessly across the room. Sitting on the floor so that his back rested against the foot of his bed, he ducked his head as he cried, feeling as if every little thing that had ever upset him was crushing him relentlessly beneath the combined weight.

Wishing he had never woken up and found that he was alone, Kyouya allowed his emotions to run free; at least there was no one else here to see him in such a pathetic state, right?

_**~~XX~~**_

When Kyouya lifted his head from his pillow that night, it was to Fon smoothing down his hair. "What…?"

"We're home now, Kyouya." Fon spoke in a soft tone, knowing he shouldn't have spoken to his nephew the way he had over the phone; he had just been very tired and wasn't in the mood to deal with such behaviour. "Are you feeling okay? You sounded upset over the phone."

Kyouya closed his eyes for a few seconds before he said quietly, "That's because I _was_ upset."

"Why?" Fon moved to sit on the edge of the bed, knowing he had to be there for his nephew now that the younger seemed to be opening up; Kyouya really _must _be feeling bad if he could admit this. "You can tell me anything, Kyouya; I will never judge you."

Licking his lips, Kyouya avoided eye contact, not even sure why he was about to admit his problems to someone; was it because he knew someone genuinely _cared_ about him? If he were still with his parents, he wouldn't say a _word _as he knew it would be pointless, but Fon was different; Fon was someone he could trust and count on.

"I haven't been feeling myself lately," Kyouya explained. "I've been fatigued, and I feel as if my patience has been worn thin; I can't stop feeling agitated by things that shouldn't bother me and I just want to curl up and disappear."

Fon reached out, embracing his nephew; he had a feeling this would happen sooner or later; Kyouya couldn't be strong forever. "Do you know what could have caused it?"

Kyouya shrugged. "I don't know; everything has been getting to me lately."

"You might just be burnt out from everything that has happened," Fon suggested. "Let's give it a few weeks and see if you feel any better; if you feel worse, I will take you to the doctor."

Kyouya nodded, reaching up to rub at his eyes; he hated giving in so easily, but he was too tired to argue; all he wanted to do was get back to sleep. "I'm going back to bed, uncle."

"Okay, Kyouya." Knowing that nothing more could be expected of his nephew, Fon stroked the other's head again before he left the room, leaving Kyouya to sleep.

Returning to his own room, Fon wasn't surprised to find his girlfriend lying back on their bed, seemingly waiting for him. "What's wrong, Viper?"

"Mukuro told me about their fight earlier." The woman ran small fingers through her indigo locks, moving closer to her lover as Fon joined her on the bed. "You should take Kyouya to a doctor; it sounds as if he's getting depressed."

"That's what I think, too." With a sigh, Fon stretched. "The problem is, a doctor will only tell me to bring him back in a few months."

Resting her head on a strong chest, Mammon said quietly, "They can still monitor him until they can make a diagnosis; they did that with Mukuro because he was harder to diagnose than Fran."

Fon didn't hesitate to kiss his girlfriend with all the love he had inside of him; he wasn't sure if he would have gotten this far in his life without her by his side. "I love you, Viper."

Mammon hummed in response, having never been the sentimental type. Instead, she just said, "Pay me for my help or I won't let you sleep with me tonight."

Fon chuckled, having long-since gotten used to her obsession with money; though he didn't like the way she unintentionally made herself sound like a prostitute when giving him these kinds of ultimatums, he never brought it up; he accepted Mammon as she was, flaws and all.


	17. Chapter 17

When lunchtime rolled by a few weeks later, Kyouya didn't say a word as he sought out Tsunayoshi and the brunet's band of friends. They weren't in any of the usual places today, not up on the roof or hanging around some of the corridors; instead, they were found out on the sprawling green lawn of Namimori Middle, sitting in the shade of a very large tree. Noticing that Belphegor was with them today, it soon became clear as to why the small group had chosen this spot; it would have been too much of a hassle trying to move a wheelchair past all those flights of stairs when there was an elevator to make things easier.

"Hibari-san." Tsuna smiled as the skylark moved to sit next to them, having really started coming to terms with the older male; Kyouya had calmed down enough for them to be able to get along like this. "Are you sitting with us today?"

Kyouya nodded, not wanting to admit he had been feeling a tad lonely up in his office. Looking up at the blond sitting so quietly in his wheelchair, he asked, "What is the blond herbivore doing here? I was told the brain damage was too extensive for him to bother coming back here."

The younger three chuckled at this, Tsuna's eyes softening as he said, "And that's true, Hibari-san; Squalo just couldn't be bothered finding a babysitter for today, so he decided the teachers could do it instead. He isn't here to learn; he's here so someone can look after him while Squalo works."

"He is treating my school as a personal day-care system?" Kyouya's hands clenched by his sides, but he didn't take it out on any of the other teenagers; it was none of their faults, not even Belphegor's. "..."

Takeshi, who had been leaning his weight against the wheelchair as he played naughts and crosses with his injured friend, started laughing. "Bel, you won! Good job!"

A sincere smile crossed Belphegor's face as he looked up at his taller friend, his head cocking slightly to the side. He picked up the notepad they had been using, holding it out to the other in a silent request for Takeshi to draw another grid; he had tried to do it himself, but he hadn't been able to draw even _remotely _straight lines – even his crosses were haphazard, not looking entirely like they were meant to.

"You wanna play again?" Takeshi smiled as gently as ever as he accepted the notepad, taking the pen from the older male's lap. "Okay~ Best two out of three, alright?"

Tsuna smiled as he felt his heart warming at the way Takeshi treated their friend as if nothing had ever happened; the dark-haired male didn't treat Belphegor any different at all, and he was always happy to sit down and play a few games with the other to keep him amused – he was sure the tallest of the group had allowed the boy to win on purpose, and it made him even happier, knowing how lucky he was to have someone as kind-hearted as Takeshi in his friend circle.

Kyouya, likewise, appreciated this, having learnt that Takeshi had one of the biggest hearts he had ever encountered – at first, he had thought of the baseball player as nothing but silly and naive, but he knew how wrong he had been; Takeshi was the kind of friend Kyouya enjoyed having.

"I was talking to Mukuro last night." Tsuna turned his attention to the skylark as he reached to the side, grabbing the bag that hung off the handle of the wheelchair. He rummaged inside it until he found the jar of mush Squalo had prepared that morning, searching for the spoon as he continued speaking. "He's a bit worried about you. He thinks you've been feeling pretty down."

Kyouya sighed, knowing they were right, but he hadn't been able to find the strength to tell anyone but Fon this; he didn't want to be treated any differently, but... Well, with this particular group, he didn't have any worries of them suddenly treating him as something fragile – he only had to observe the way they loved and cared for Belphegor while still trying to give him a sense of pride; sure, they might take it easy with him at times, but mostly they refused to treat him as a lesser being, knowing that he was still their friend beneath the disabilities.

Shrugging, Kyouya spoke in a quiet tone. "I guess the herbivore is correct."

Tsuna frowned at these words, having guessed as much himself; he had had a feeling that something was bothering his friend, and he wanted to help.

Dipping the spoon he had finally pulled out of the bag into the jar, the brunet passed it to Takeshi. "Make sure you're very gentle, Yamamoto; you might really hurt him, Squalo said."

"Of course, Tsuna~" Takeshi accepted the jar before he reached out, putting his hand on Bel's to stop the older male from putting a cross on the grid. "We'll finish this once you've eaten, okay~? Open up~"

Bel did as he was told, reaching out to hold his friend's sleeve as he allowed himself to be fed. His eyes wandered around the group, finding that Hayato was leaning back against the tree in silence as Tsuna and Kyouya spoke quietly. He wondered what they were talking about, but he couldn't hear them properly; he was sure someone had said something about his hearing being damaged, but there was a lot people said to him that he wasn't sure if he was hearing correctly – if he had even heard it in the first place.

"Has something been bothering you?" The smallest teenager moved closer, knowing that no one else needed to overhear their conversation; it was just between the group and no one else.

"...I suppose I have grown tired from people expecting too much from me." Kyouya sighed. "It feels as if no one can respect me when I tell them no."

"I understand," Tsuna promised, having long-since grown used to being bullied. "I hope _we _don't make you feel like that."

"No, you do not; it is Fon and the pineapple herbivore who expect too much from me. Fon pushes me into things I would not otherwise do, and the pineapple herbivore seems to think I am the solution to his every problem."

"Your uncle loves you and just wants the best for you," the other explained. "And Mukuro just doesn't always know when he's being a handful. He only means well. He really likes you, Hibari-san."

"I know he likes me; he doesn't know how to leave me alone unless your blond herbivore is in the picture."

Shaking his head, Tsuna's cheeks reddened as he softly clarified, "N-no, I mean... really, _really _likes you, Hibari-san..."

"..." It took a few more seconds for Kyouya to click, but when he did, his eyes widened slightly. "I thought the green herbivore was joking when he made all those comments."

"He would have been; Mukuro only told us this a few days ago."

Shaking his head, Kyouya wasn't sure how he felt about this; he wasn't one for romantic relationships, finding platonic friendships difficult enough. "I do not want sex or anything else that involves intimacy."

"Mukuro doesn't want sex, either," Tsuna explained, knowing it was natural for Kyouya to assume this would be what the younger wanted from him; he himself could understand that most males expected their partner to put out for them almost immediately once getting into a relationship – while most of his friends were much calmer and didn't let their hormones get to their heads, there were still exceptions within his friendship group, Belphegor being the biggest one. "All he wants is someone to kiss and cuddle."

"He hugs me enough as it is, him _and _the green herbivore." Shuddering at the thought of having someone else's tongue in his mouth, Kyouya felt as if he could throw up; it made no difference what gender one was – it all had the same effect in making him feel nauseas at the thought of someone wanting to be with him physically. "And I doubt he will listen if I tell him I do not wish to kiss."

"He can respect your boundaries, even if it doesn't seem like it." Tsuna knew what was bothering his friend, and he knew he needed to make the other understand; Mukuro was truly harmless towards his crush, having been through enough in his own life to understand not to try and make someone change their minds if they said no regarding this sort of thing – he just had to learn to apply that to everyday life, as well. "He... He saw a lot back with his old foster family... He has to live with the memories of seeing Fran being... forced... It was enough to leave scars on Mukuro, as well. I can promise you that he also would not want a relationship where sex is involved. I'm not sure if he would ever want it, but he certainly doesn't now."

"Why didn't he tell me any of this himself?" Kyouya didn't understand why he was hearing this from someone else; shouldn't the blue-haired teenager have said something himself?

"Because he didn't want you to reject him; you're the first person he's ever really liked in that way."

Kyouya looked to his lap, thinking this over; there was no way he would allow himself to date someone who wouldn't respect his wishes to stay celibate, but if it were Mukuro... The younger male should understand.

"I will talk to him tonight after school." Knowing it was best to talk to Mukuro instead of Tsuna, Kyouya instead changed the subject, having had enough of talking about such personal things. "What class do you have next?"

Looking at Hayato for clarification, Tsuna smiled sheepishly, having forgotten already.

"Gym," the silver-haired male replied, his soft eyes hardening as they regarded the skylark, still not used to the Prefect's presence; naturally untrusting, he didn't like the fact that Kyouya was hanging around with them at times.

"We must have a combined class as I also have it." Nodding to himself, Kyouya stood up as he prepared to leave; he had done his socialising for the lunchbreak.

Walking away from the small group, Kyouya's eyebrow rose as he heard a startled squeak from Tsuna, a disgusted grunt from Hayato, and a laugh from Takeshi. Turning to glance over his shoulder, the skylark couldn't stop the bile from climbing his throat as he watched the brunet pull Belphegor's hand out from beneath the blond's pants, the youngest forced to remind his friend that he had been acting inappropriately.

Throwing the contents of his stomach up onto the ground, Kyouya knew he shouldn't be so upset; Belphegor had done the same thing in front of him several times already, the damage to his brain having impacted greatly on him in such a manner – the blond truly didn't mean to cause any trouble; he simply had lost the awareness that sexual habits were to be done in private.

Sincerely hoping that Tsuna had been right about Mukuro's lack of interest in a sexual relationship, Kyouya wiped at his mouth before making his way back to the school building; after such a stressful situation, he needed to take a nap.

_**~~XX~~**_

When Gym class rolled around, it became clear to Kyouya that his class had indeed been merged with Tsuna's; there was no other reason as to why the two individual classes would be in the same room together otherwise.

Kyouya had made it a point to abandon his own class in favour of approaching Tsuna's side, finding the brunet pushing his friend's wheelchair back and forth in a soothing manner. "Will you be participating, herbivore?"

Shaking his head, Tsuna smiled as he gestured to Belphegor. "I'm looking after Bel."

"Then I will sit with you." Having never taken part in these kinds of classes, Kyouya made himself comfortable on the bench, watching as the other students did as told.

It had been only minutes into the class before Kyouya left to get a drink. He didn't take long to return, and when he did, he could only wonder what Tsuna had done to have their teacher screaming at them the way she was; if he didn't know any better, he would assume Tsuna had gone out of his way to show disrespect to the woman teaching them.

"Is there a problem here?" Kyouya was calm as always, staring into the female's eyes with a cold emotion; he had grown to know the other two students well enough to know they shouldn't have done anything to warrant such treatment.

The teacher backed down at Kyouya's approach, instead hissing to her own two students, "Take him out the back and I'll deal with him out there."

A look of defiance flashed across the brunet's face before Tsuna shook his head, reaching out to grab hold of the wheelchair in what the Prefect _knew _was a protective manner. Speaking in a quiet tone, the youngest male said, "No, I'm not doing that..."

"Why not?"

"Because I was the one asked to take care of him, so I will. Bel didn't do anything wrong; he doesn't need to be yelled at."

Raising her hand, the teacher went to hit the brunet, only to have Kyouya reach out and grab her hand before contact could be made. Dark orbs stared into lighter ones, the teenager feeling his temper about to break.

"It isn't wise to try and hit _my _herbivore," Kyouya growled. "Lay a hand on him, and I will be sure you lose your job."

Sneering at the skylark, the teacher than turned her attention to Bed, finding the blond seemingly focused on her as his body trembled from fear. "Look at you, you pathetic excuse for a whore; you used to think you were top shit, but now you know the level you're on is no better than that of a cockroach, you dick-sucking little slut, going around fucking three-quarters of the school the way you were – bet you're full of diseases. Bet you let your guardian fuck your loose little ass as well, and probably even No-Good Tsuna and his group. Does it turn you on hearing yourself being talked about like this? I bet it does; heard you used to get caught jerking off in the bathroom stalls a lot. You probably want me to take you into my office right now, don't you? Want me to treat you like the slut you are."

Kyouya was honestly shocked by what he was hearing while Tsuna looked as if he were about to cry. The skylark had never expected such words to be directed at the blond, and in _this _state...

It was when the woman put her hand on Belphegor's groin did the two younger students snap. Tsuna jumped up and pulled the wheelchair backwards, knocking himself over in the process, while Kyouya put all his weight into shoving the adult aside.

The whole class had stopped to see what was happening, knowing it was no surprise that Kyouya had grown violent, but to see meek Tsunayoshi raising his voice at someone...

"Don't you ever come near him again!" Tsuna yelled, standing in front of Bel. "That's why I wouldn't let you take him out back; he's already told us about the things you do to him!"

Kyouya hadn't felt so angry in a long time, and he couldn't fight back the tears that threatened to overwhelm him for much longer; he didn't know why he was crying, but damnit, he couldn't stop himself. "If you think you can get away with touching what is _mine _in such a sick manner, I will bite you to death, herbivore."

The Prefect didn't stick around to see how this turned out; once other students and his own teacher started coming over to see what had happened, he knew he had to leave now before he lost more control than he already had of his own emotions.

Ignoring the calls for him to come back, Kyouya went to his locker and grabbed his belongings, texting Fon and saying that he was coming home early. Ignoring the other asking why that was, he simply wiped at his tears as he prepared himself for his journey home, knowing he couldn't stay here much longer; he felt as if it had been _him _who had been violated, having never thought of his beloved school as a place where that kind of thing happened.

_**~~XX~~**_

Fon had been greatly concerned when his nephew had walked into the house with tears rolling down his face, even more so when the teenager headed straight to him and hugged him tight, hiding his face in the man's chest.

"Kyouya, what's happened?" Fon threaded his fingers through soft raven locks, wishing he knew what to do; had something happened at school?

Shaking his head, Kyouya didn't know how to explain things without feeling as if he could vomit; what he had witnessed was the same thing he just didn't want to be around at all, and knowing it hadn't even been _consensual... _

"It's okay, Kyouya," Fon promised, letting his nephew cry into him. Leading the younger over to the couch, he sat them both down, never pushing the other away; he loved the teenager too much, and knowing that he was going through a hard time lately...

Well, Fon wished he could help more.

Just holding his nephew until Kyouya had eventually cried himself dry, Fon knew he didn't need to speak in this moment; Kyouya obviously was getting enough comfort from him to allow himself to open up like this.

_**~~XX~~**_

It wasn't until later that night when Kyouya had immersed himself in homework did someone come into his room. He turned around, finding Tsunayoshi flanked by his usual friends with Mukuro in the mix tonight.

"What happened after I left?" Kyouya put his pen down, giving the younger group his full attention.

"She was called in to see the principal, and Squalo was told what had happened. He came and got Belphegor and took him home."

"Is he alright?"

"Yeah, I think he was more shaken up than anything." Tsuna sighed softly, remembering the way his friend hadn't been able to stop trembling until Squalo had arrived on the scene. "Squalo was furious, but he wants to thank you for looking out for Bel."

"I don't want his thanks; I simply wasn't cruel enough to let that happen in front of me." Turning back to his desk, the Prefect added, "Has the green herbivore been told?"

"No," Mukuro said quietly. "I do not think it is something he needs to know as it will only upset him."

Kyouya nodded in understanding. He was silent as the Namimori Middle trio left to go home, leaving Mukuro standing in the doorway.

"It is a horrible thing to see, isn't it...?" Mukuro twiddled his thumbs as memories flooded his mind, knowing he was going to start crying any minute now; if there was anything guaranteed to bring him to tears, it was remembering what Fran had been put through by hands that should have known better.

"Don't put me on your level, herbivore," Kyouya muttered. "I didn't see to the extent you did."

Shaking his head, Mukuro closed the distance between them. He leant down, wrapping his arms around his friend. "I am truly glad you did not, Kyouya... You do not need to see what I have... Never what I have..."

Turning around, Kyouya returned the embrace, feeling as if he could cry again. "I am sorry you had to see those kinds of things."

"Do not apologise; you did not do anything wrong. I do not need to be pitied; I am happy with how things have changed. I am happy. That's all that matters."

Kyouya nodded, able to understand this; he also was much happier with his uncle than he had ever hoped to be living with his parents.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Mukuro whispered, resting his chin on his friend's head. He smiled when he received a nod in response, glad that he could be so close to someone; while he often shared his bed with Fran, it wasn't the same; he was the one doing all the comforting, and tonight he needed to be the one being soothed.

For the first time in a long time, Mukuro had been able to drift off into a peaceful sleep almost instantly when, just a half-hour later, the two had curled up in Kyouya's bed and allowed themselves to soak in the comfort of the other.

Kyouya knew he would still have to talk to Mukuro about what Tsuna had told him, but that could wait; for now, all that mattered was sleep.


	18. Chapter 18

**Sorry for the very late update; I've hit a mental block with most of my stories as there's a lot going on at the moment. Also, I may just be being too hard on myself, but I'm sorely disappointed with the lack of character development I've put into this arc; it feels barely existent, and if any, as if it's just going around in circles. As I said, I've had things going on and so I've been finding it rather difficult to sit down and write, no matter how much I want to. Please feel free to leave some suggestions as to what you guys want to happen next as my mind is very scattered as of late and making it hard to throw plot together in most of my stories. **

Waking up the next morning, Kyouya had almost forgotten that Mukuro had been with him last night; he was honestly surprised by the blue tuft of hair tickling his nose as the taller male lay curled up against him, a peaceful expression on his face for once.

"Herbivore." Kyouya reached out, shaking the other's shoulder. He didn't let up until the younger started to stir, staring into heterochromatic eyes once they opened. "Time for school."

Mukuro smiled as he nodded, knowing he should have expected this; if Kyouya would rather sleep than get up to get ready for school, something was very, very wrong. "Kyouya, always the sensible one."

The Prefect nodded as he sat up, waiting for the other to move so he could get out of bed. He sighed when the younger continued to lay there, uncomfortable with the idea of clambering over Mukuro; just because he was tolerating the younger two hugging him all the time _didn't _mean he liked it; he was still as agitated by touch as ever.

"Move." Kyouya couldn't keep the cold tone out of his voice, his fingers twitching as he fought back the urge to shove the other from his bed. "I'm not climbing over you. _Move._"

Mukuro still remained where he was, his long arm extending so that he could brush his fingers against his friend's cheek. His heterochromatic eyes softened as they scanned the older male's face, noticing the look of tiredness on usually-stoic features. "Why are you doing this to yourself?"

"Doing what?" Kyouya sat back on his feet, glaring down at the thinner male. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You are exhausted, but you keep forcing yourself. I do not like it." Rolling himself off the bed, Mukuro stood up and stretched. "You are feeling down, but you are pretending you are fine."

"I _am _fine." Coming to stand next to the taller male, Kyouya tensed when he was pulled into a gentle embrace.

"You are not." Mukuro sighed, resting his chin in soft raven locks. "You are forgetting who you are talking to, Kyouya; I am depressed, as is my foster brother. My best friend is bi-polar. I have been around this for many years; I can see when people are depressed and when they are just sad. Tell me what is bothering you; I will listen."

Kyouya stared in silence for half a minute before he looked away, picking Roll up from the tiny nest of material next to the bed the animal slept in every night. The skylark sighed as he nursed his pet close to his chest, letting his eyes slip closed; as hard as it was for him to admit this to the blue-haired male, he knew that if anyone would understand, it would be Mukuro. "…You are correct, herbivore. I am tired, and I'm not even entirely sure of why I feel down. Is it because of the way my parents treated me? Or because I still feel as if things haven't changed very much?"

Mukuro hummed thoughtfully before he replied. "Maybe you have just been strong for too long, Kyouya; you have been through a lot, too. And now that things are better for you, you do not need to keep being strong because you are safe here. You might just be relieved that you are no longer somewhere you do not wish to be."

Kyouya nodded, knowing that it made sense, and to be honest, he felt a little better talking to Mukuro, even if he didn't exactly know why.

"That is when my depression begun," Mukuro said quietly, looking to the ground. "I had tried my hardest to be strong for Fran, to keep him safe and make him happy… It was not until we were taken away did the trauma really hit me; I did not have to lock my emotions away any longer for Fran's sake because no one was going to hurt him again; I was free to cry as much as I wanted, and cry I did."

Kyouya nodded, glad that the things he had been through were not as bad as Mukuro's past; while the skylark could get through his nights without nightmares, Mukuro and Fran didn't have that luxury; they both were prone to waking up in cold sweats, crying and whimpering as they relived suffering they should never have experienced.

The Prefect was truly grateful for having been better off, appreciating the fact that others have been through worse. He felt he didn't have much room to complain as he was happier with how things were now, though it was sometimes hard to see that and made him want to cry.

But if Mukuro could get through this, Kyouya could, too; he was still the same when it came to winning, refusing to lose to Mukuro in a battle of will.

Some things would never change, but both Mukuro and Kyouya preferred it that way.

_**~~XX~~ **_

When school had finished and Kyouya found himself refusing to spend more time with the younger group after walking with them to meet Mukuro and Fran at the bus stop, it was the blue-haired teenager who pulled him to the side.

"Kyouya, I know it is a bad feeling, but if you let yourself withdraw all the time, you will only feel worse." There was empathy in heterochromatic eyes, Mukuro understanding exactly what Kyouya was feeling; he also spent a lot of time turning down invitations to spend time with others and then wishing he hadn't. "You should go with us; Tsunayoshi loves spending time with you."

Before Kyouya could reply, he had spun around with his tonfa in hand, looking for whoever had dared make Fran scream bloody murder.

However, it all became clear in seconds as a truck roared past them on the busy roads.

"Fran!" Mukuro rushed forward, pulling his foster brother into a tight hug. He held a look of despair as the boy clung desperately to him, hating that his beloved Fran had been so badly traumatised by what he had seen; the boy could hardly even watch TV anymore without being triggered. "Fran, it is okay; everyone is safe. Everyone is safe."

"I will take him home." Kyouya stepped forward at this, pulling at Fran's green jacket. "Let's go, herbivore."

Mukuro didn't argue, knowing that Fran needed to get home and Kyouya didn't want to stay here any longer anyway; as bad as he felt letting his friend handle this, he knew it had to be done to make everyone comfortable; he couldn't force Kyouya to socialise; wasn't that what the Prefect had been trying to tell him was upsetting him?

Mukuro hadn't realised it at first, but he should never have been so pushy with Kyouya; he hadn't meant any harm, but it seemed his friend's own problems were greater than either of them had realised.

_**~~XX~~**_

After returning home, Kyouya sat Fran down in the living room and made sure he was comfortable before he returned to his own bedroom. He sat down at his desk, sighing as Hibird fluttered over to land in his raven locks. "What am I supposed to do, Hibird?"

"Hibari! Hibari!" The bird chirped happily as he flapped his wings, as cheerful as ever. "Hibari!"

Letting out a sigh, Kyouya spun around to look out of the window, noticing the way the skies darkened with an impending storm. He allowed his imagination to take over, not knowing what to do, until he was broken out of it by his daydreams by his uncle entering his room.

"Kyouya?" Fon closed the door behind him, leaving down to pick up Roll on his way over. He passed the animal off to his nephew when he was close enough to do so, his eyes as soft as ever. "Is Mukuro still out with his friends?"

Kyouya nodded, putting the hedgehog down on his lap. "He should be back soon. He says he likes me, uncle."

"Of course he likes you; you are important to him."

Shaking his head, Kyouya clarified. "No, I mean romantically."

Fon smiled, knowing he had been right to suspect such developments; he and Mammon were more observant than they let on, and they had both quickly noticed the way Mukuro's smile was sincere and his eyes conveyed his emotions more naturally instead of his feelings being locked away behind a playful mask - it had been only too easy to piece together the puzzle when the blue-haired teenager started talking about Kyouya more often, too.

"Does it bother you, Kyouya?"

Shaking his head, Kyouya sighed. "No. Not as much as I thought it would. But I don't want to accept his feelings. I don't like him in that way. I don't like anyone in that way, and I probably never will. Besides; he hasn't even spoken to me about it - I can't find myself attracted to cowardly herbivores who can't even admit their feelings like that."

"Give him time; he probably doesn't want things between you two to change."

"What are you here for?" Kyouya was quick to change the subject, not wanting to talk about Mukuro; romantics were pathetic to him, and he didn't want to talk about them any longer than he had to.

"I was going to ask you if you were interested in going on a bit of a holiday." Fon scratched his cheek, his voice softening when he noticed the confusion on his nephew's face. "Viper is leaving on a trip with her work colleagues for a few weeks. Fran is going with them, but Mukuro is staying here. You can go if you want to; it might do you some good to get out for a while."

"Why is the green herbivore going if it's work-related?"

"Because Belphegor is being brought along, too, and it would be nice for both of them to have some time out. You are very welcome to go with them if you want to, Kyouya."

"I'm not going with that group of monkeys," Kyouya muttered. "I've already heard what they're like; they will agitate me to no end."

"Well, in that case, you should go and say goodbye to Fran as he and Viper will be leaving in a few minutes." Standing up, Fon waited to hear his nephew's response.

"I'll text the herbivore later." Moving over to his bed, Kyouya laid down. "Leave me be."

Fon sighed, but he said nothing; he simply left the room in order to farewell the other two, knowing that they were more important than Kyouya's stubborn attitude.

Kyouya watched the man leave before he yawned, letting his eyes slip closed. He didn't move when Roll lay down next to him, comforted as Hibird made a nest out of his hair. He allowed himself to fall into a peaceful sleep, tired from the day's events and knowing that a nap would do him good.

_**~~XX~~**_

When Kyouya woke up again, it was to Mukuro entering his room. Sitting up on his bed, the skylark rubbed at his eyes. He opened his mouth in order to reprimand the younger, but before he could speak, the younger whimpered his name.

"Kyouya..." There was a pained tone in the blue-haired teenager's voice, one that told Kyouya whatever was bothering the other was serious. Fumbling with his hands, Mukuro looked to the side. "...Tsunayoshi... told me he told you..."

Kyouya blinked before understanding washed over him; the younger was distressed because he knew of Mukuro's feelings. "What are you so upset about? Clearly I am not bothered by it as I am still here, right?"

"..." Putting the tips of his fingers together, Mukuro spoke in a shy tone. "...Do you... Return them...?"

"No." Ignoring the look of pain that crossed Mukuro's face, Kyouya continued on. "I find intimacy to be revolting, and romantics are a waste of my time. I'm not looking for anything like that."

The small, barely visible smile that had crossed Mukuro's face vanished, his body tensing. "…Oh… Well… That is okay, I guess… Maybe… in future…?"

"I will not speak for the future as it's subject to change," the skylark said quietly. "I am speaking for the here and now. Here and now, I do not return your feelings. I do not speak for the future."

"That… makes sense…" Mukuro nodded, accepting this explanation. "Then I will wait for you – if you will change your feelings, that is."

"Don't hold your breath, herbivore."

"I can always hope." Moving to sit on the bed next to his friend, Mukuro smiled. "May I nap with you?"

Kyouya nodded, lying back down. He moved back instinctively as the younger curled up against him, but he didn't protest; he just rolled onto his side so that his back was facing Mukuro. He shuddered as arms wrapped around him, pulling him against a fragile chest, but he didn't protest; he was slowly coming to terms with the fact that he truly didn't mind Mukuro holding him like this.

Feeling a warm pair of lips brush against his cheek, Kyouya let out a content sigh before he closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift back off into sleep, Mukuro not far at all behind him.


	19. Chapter 19

The next couple of weeks passed by without much incident, and though Fran and Mammon were due back today, what Kyouya wasn't expecting was for them to be followed inside by three other people, Squalo with Belphegor, and another blond behind them.

Kyouya immediately tensed, agitated by the presence of someone he didn't know; who did Mammon think she was, letting people who weren't welcome here into his home?

"Who is this?" Pointing an accusing finger at the blond man standing behind Squalo, Kyouya bristled. His gaze turning to Squalo, he then added, "And _him_. What is _he _doing here?"

"Voi, listen, you little shit," Squalo growled, his eyes burning with anger. His arms visibly tightened around the boy he was holding, and the soft squeak of discomfort Belphegor made proved that the long-haired male probably was barely even aware of doing so. "I am _far _from the fucking mood to deal with bratty little shits like you; I have enough on my fucking hands to deal with without a spoilt little fuck like yourself getting in my fucking face!"

Kyouya opened his mouth to reply, only for Mammon to speak up next. "Squalo, calm down; he doesn't know."

"Well, someone should tell the fucker before I –"

"Squalo, stop it; you're upsetting Bel."

The newcomer, who had been watching his companions with a frown, stepped forward, seeing that Mammon was busy trying to calm the long-haired man. He smiled at Kyouya, closing the distance between them until he was just a few feet from the teenager. "Hi. You must be Kyouya."

Kyouya was as guarded as ever, upset by a stranger being allowed into his home like this. He made no move to back down, instead stepping even closer to the blond whilst bristling like a cat. "Leave, herbivore."

The blond chuckled as he reached out, intending on putting his hand on the younger's shoulder. He froze a split second before he reached out with his other hand, grabbing the tonfa that had come out of nowhere and deflecting them. With a frown, he shook his head.

"I don't want to fight you; I just want to talk to you."

Kyouya stayed where he was, his agitation growing the more Squalo shouted at Mammon in the background. Fran had disappeared already, probably going to his own room to get away from the fighting, and the skylark could see his uncle's car pulling up in the driveway, the man having just come home from shopping; he grew more irritated by the second, knowing that Fon would soon join in with all the unrest. "Well, I want you to _leave_."

Ignoring these words, the blond dropped to his knees in order to appear less intimidating. He wisely kept his hands to himself, having just worked out that Kyouya was far more defensive than he had been told. "My name is Dino. Dino Cavallone. I grew up with Squalo and the companies we work for are somewhat of partners. He moved to Japan when his job relocated him, but I stayed in Italy; it's been a while since I've had time to come up and see him."

"I don't _care_," Kyouya growled, ready to swing his tonfa once again – anything to get the other away from him. "Get out of my house."

Shaking his head, Dino continued speaking. "I got an emergency transfer to Japan because Squalo lost his home; that's why he's more agitated than usual; with what happened to Bel, he couldn't keep up with anything but the hospital and therapy; they were his only priority. He has nowhere to go and not much money left because he fell into so much debt, so I moved up here to help him."

"Then the both of you can leave my home and go _help _elsewhere."

"We'll be leaving very soon; I promise. We just came to leave Bel here because he's very tired and it won't be good for him to be dragged around any more than he already has to be; he needs somewhere he can just lay down and rest for a while."

"I don't _care _about the stupid blond herbivore right now; what I _do _care about is you _leaving_." Kyouya swung his tonfa again, but Dino was quick to get out of the way once again. He opened his mouth to speak, but Fon rushing towards him was enough to still him, the look of annoyance in usually-soft eyes alerting the teenager to the fact that he was in for another lecture he didn't want or need.

"Kyouya!" Taking the tonfa from his nephew, Fon snapped at the younger, upset to see Kyouya acting so wildly towards a guest. "I don't care how your parents raised you; I won't have you disrespecting your guest like this! Apologise!"

Dino, who had stepped back in order to watch the scene, couldn't help but raise his hands as he tried to grab the other adult's attention. He spoke in a soft tone, aware of the anger and upset wafting from Kyouya. "Please, I don't need an apology. I don't mean to intrude or anything, but… Well, yelling at Kyouya… isn't going to help anything; what I saw the second he walked into my sight was a teenager just upset that people are intruding in his personal space; that's completely normal. Kyouya wasn't the one in the wrong; he just wanted to be left alone but I wouldn't allow it; I ignored his wishes and kept talking to him. He doesn't need to be disciplined for something like this because he really didn't do anything wrong…"

Fon shook his head. "Kyouya should know better than to treat guests the way he treated you; I won't have him thinking he can get away with it."

"You're not punishing him for disrespecting guests; you're punishing him for wanting to be alone." Sighing, Dino tried to explain things without overstepping his boundaries; he didn't want to tell people how to raise their charges, but honestly… looking at Kyouya…

Kyouya looked just like a damaged teenager who just didn't have the support and understanding he needed.

"As I told Kyouya, I've been friends with Squalo for a very long time." Looking over at his friend, Dino was glad to see that the silver-haired male had calmed down enough to move to the couch, sitting down while Mammon spoke quietly to him. "We've been friends for about ten years, maybe eleven or twelve. When he found Bel, I was around a lot for him because his social skills were very poor, near-non-existent. He didn't speak much, but in his own way he was bratty – not through any fault of his own, but because he hadn't socialised positively with anyone but his twin. Kyouya… honestly reminds me a lot of Bel. He clearly hasn't had proper socialising, and that's going to make it very hard for him to express himself. I'm sure you think you're doing the right thing, but Kyouya's just doing what he knows, and he shouldn't be punished for trying to express himself. You should try and understand him on a more personal level; it took us a long time to be able to look after Bel properly, but we eventually understood him and his ways of expressing himself; you can do it with Kyouya, too."

Fon took a few seconds to reply, but when he did, there was a hint of sadness on his face. He leant down, taking his nephew's hand in his, his eyes meeting onyx orbs. "Have I been misunderstanding you this entire time, Kyouya?"

Kyouya didn't respond to these words; he simply looked away, uneasy with where this conversation was going; he didn't want to talk about his feelings like this, not when he was already worked up.

"Kyouya…" Fon reached out, wrapping his arms around the student. He hugged Kyouya tight, wishing he had been able to see what he had been doing earlier; he had only wanted to help his nephew, but had he unknowingly been making things harder? "I'm sorry…"

"Hmph…" Kyouya refused to look at his uncle, trying to pull away from the contact; what was with this mushy scene? It was unbecoming of them all!

"Why didn't you tell me?" Fon reached out, stroking his fingers through soft raven locks. "I never meant to hurt you, Kyouya."

"I _did _try to tell you; you only scolded me further."

"I'm sorry… I thought I was doing the right thing, but… I guess I never stopped to think about _why _you did what you did. I thought you were just acting out because no one had taught you better."

"No. I _do _know 'better'; no one simply cared to acknowledge my feelings and views on matters, like when you allowed that band of herbivores to move in here and expected me to play buddy-buddy."

"Kyouya…" Fon sighed, shaking his head. "I will never treat you like this again, Kyouya; I promise. I knew I didn't understand you properly, but I guess I never tried hard enough to fix that."

"…Hmph." Pushing his uncle away from him, Kyouya turned around to leave. "I am tired of this soppy situation. Come find me when you are back to your usual self; I am no female and do not need to be treated as such."

Fon couldn't help but chuckle as he released the younger, getting back to his feet. He turned to Dino, a small smile on his face. "Thank you for your advice; I had never thought of things that way before."

"Anytime." The blond returned the smile, his hazel eyes shining with gentleness. "These things become second nature when you're around it long enough; I could sit and talk for hours about all the times Squalo could have murdered Bel because he didn't have enough understanding of him. Just talk things out with Kyouya and ask questions if you can't see eye-to-eye. It'll help; I promise."

"I'll do my best." Moving towards the couch next, Fon leant down so that he wasn't towering over his long-haired guest. "I'm very sorry to hear about your situation. If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask."

Squalo muttered something before he dropped his chin on top of Bel's head, reluctant to let go of the boy after everything that had happened; he had no idea how to cope anymore, and the thought of losing Bel after all this made him want to cry; as much as the blond had exasperated him to no end, Bel was honestly the only thing in his life that kept him holding on; he didn't want to know where he would be if he hadn't found the twins, because becoming a guardian had changed him for the better when he had once been at his lowest.

"It's okay, Squalo," Fon promised, reaching out to put his hands on Bel's small shoulders. "You know we'll take good care of him; he loves coming over and seeing everyone. He'll be happy and comfortable here."

Squalo nodded, hesitant to pass the boy off, but eventually allowed Bel to leave his lap. He said nothing more to the dark-haired man before he walked towards the front door, calling over his shoulder for Dino.

Dino chuckled, ruffling Bel's hair before he chased after his friend. Fon watched them go before he looked over to Mammon, the woman having sat so quietly on the couch, he had almost forgotten she was still there.

"What should I do with Bel?" Fon looked down at the boy, finding the blond nuzzling in against him, probably letting himself fall asleep.

Mammon raised a hand to her mouth as she yawned, standing up. "Put him in Fran's bed for now; I'm going to take a nap."

Fon nodded, leaving to do as told. On his way to Fran and Mukuro's bedroom, he couldn't help but think to himself that he was going to have to make things up to Kyouya somehow – but then, remembering whom he was dealing with, Kyouya probably wouldn't want that and would be fine if today's events never came up between them again.

Yes, the latter was most definitely how Kyouya would be feeling.


	20. Chapter 20

**With the conflict resolved, I'm thinking here would be a good place to end this fic. However, I'm going back and forth between putting up a TYL arc that will build upon the relationships that were somewhat neglected, eg; Fon x Viper moments, Kyouya and the other Vongola, etc. Otherwise, I'm satisfied with how this arc ended, considering my writer's block had been so bad. **

**Let me know if you want TYL arc (and if you do, feel free to leave suggestions as to what to base the arc on) or happy to end with this chapter and the original prologue that had been put up previously. **

With the months rolling by in a steady manner, it was no secret that Kyouya _did _seem a lot happier now that he felt as if people were actually respecting him; he had been coming out of his room a little more, and he was spending time with the younger group of teenagers every now and then. There were times he and his uncle continued to disagree on matters, but it didn't mean the man wasn't trying; Fon always made an honest attempt at seeing where his nephew was coming from and accommodating the difficult behaviour.

Now, as Fon poked his head into the younger's room, he wasn't surprised to find now-eighteen-year-old Kyouya sitting at his desk, a pen in his hand as he did his homework. Mukuro sat on the other side of the hardwood, doing his own, a peaceful silence between them.

"Kyouya?" Fon waited patiently for the younger two to look at him, moving so that he was standing in the middle of the room. "Will you do something for me, please?"

"What is it?" Not wanting to abandon his homework for just anything, Kyouya decided to hear his uncle out before he made his mind up; at least now, thanks to Dino, he could actually have his say and not worry about being forced out of his comfort zone.

"Can you go and get Fran?" Scratching at his cheek, Fon withheld a cough; he and Mammon were ill, and he didn't feel well enough to be behind the wheel of a car. He trusted Kyouya to get there and back safely, despite the teenager having only recently gotten his license; the skylark was sensible, and just like with everything else, still held a strong sense of not breaking any rules; it was enough to make Fon comfortable with allowing the younger to take his car out every now and then, trusting him to stay out of trouble.

Looking back and forth between his uncle and his homework, Kyouya weighed his two options carefully; he could stay here and finish his homework, or he could help his uncle out whilst the man was ill.

"…" Deciding that his uncle was just the tiniest bit more important than his homework, the skylark pushed it away from him. He stood up, glancing at Mukuro briefly before he left the room in silence to find the keys, knowing everyone would understand; there wasn't much Kyouya would abandon his school work for, after all.

"Kyouya, hold on." Mukuro chased after his friend before the other could leave, grabbing his shoes from the front door. He slipped them on in a hurry before he ducked outside, finding the Prefect waiting by the car in a perceptive manner. He smiled as he made his way to the passenger side, glad that Kyouya knew him so well; the blue-haired male loved spending time with the older teenager, and drives were his favourite so that he could stare out of the window and just think.

Kyouya was silent as he got into the driver's seat and started the car. He pushed down on the clutch before putting the gear into reverse, not a word spoken between them as they made their way over to Dino and Squalo's home.

They didn't need to speak; they were both perfectly content with the peaceful silence, after all.

_**~~XX~~**_

Kyouya had always been uncomfortable walking into other peoples' homes, but with Mukuro by his side, it was slightly more reassuring; the way the blue-haired teenager was so familiar with the people who lived in this house lessened the awkward atmosphere Kyouya could never seem to escape from; it was soothing listening as Mukuro talked with the others in a manner almost as if he had known them all his whole life – in a way, that was the case; the younger had known the three for the majority of his life, so it was no surprise they were all as close as they were.

"Where's Squalo?" Mukuro wasted no time in walking into the kitchen and approaching the group standing in an isolated area of the floor, away from everything; it seemed that one of Squalo's friends was visiting in order to give Belphegor a haircut.

Standing next to the chair his best friend was sitting on, Mukuro placed a kiss on Belphegor's cheek. He smiled when a thin hand reached up and grabbed his jacket, knowing that the older male had missed him; Mukuro had been caught up with studying for his exams, so he hadn't been around to see the blond for a few days.

"He's at work, so I'm looking after Bel for him." Dino, who was leaning against one of the counters with Fran, offered a plate of biscuits with toppings to his two guests. "Help yourself."

"Don't move, hon; I'm almost done." The man standing behind Belphegor moved to the boy's front, leaning down as he lifted a finger to the younger's chin to stop his head from ducking. He stuck his tongue out of the corner of his lips as he concentrated on his task, trimming bangs that had grown longer than usual; from what Kyouya had heard, Squalo was flat out with work and hadn't been home much to care for Belphegor. It was pitiful in a way, but Kyouya could understand; he hadn't seen much of his own parents, either.

Kyouya made sure to stick close to Mukuro, uncomfortable with such crowding; while he was still getting used to Dino and had found him easier to tolerate than a lot of other people, it was still confronting for the skylark to be in the blond's home like this. He listened as Mukuro conversed happily with Dino and Fran, his eyes fixed on Belphegor and the man he knew as Lussuria.

Despite the extent of his injuries, Belphegor was still growing, his lanky frame becoming leaner. He was a little taller, but Kyouya was sure he wouldn't be very big at all once he stopped growing. His hair was longer, messier than it had been two years ago, but Lussuria seemed to be styling it for him as he worked with careful precision, often taking moments to stop and think about his next movement.

Kyouya accepted the fact that, even after all this time, Belphegor was still as loved and cared for as ever.

"There we go, sweetheart~" Stepping over to the counter to grab the small mirror waiting for this moment, Lussuria held it in front of Bel. "Do you like it?"

Belphegor stared into the mirror for a few seconds before he beamed happily. He reached up, patting his hair in a fond manner, before his smile faltered and he instead frowned. Lowering his hand, he covered his mouth, his obscured eyes darting to the side in shame as he once again caught sight of the braces trying to pull what was left of his teeth back into their original positions.

"It's okay, hon," Lussuria promised, leaning down to pat blond hair affectionately. "You're still as handsome as ever, even with braces. Fran obviously thinks so, too, as he still gives you lots of kisses, doesn't he?"

Bel's frown slowly disappeared, replaced instead by a shy smile as he nodded. He lifted his good arm into the air in silent request to be picked up, purring in content when Lussuria obeyed his wishes and held him close.

"Can senpai come over?" Fran had been quiet since Kyouya and Mukuro arrived, but his usually-dull eyes were full of hope as he looked up at Dino.

"Oh, I don't know, Fran." Dino hated to upset the boy, but sometimes it had to be that way. "Squalo will finish in a few hours; he'll want to spend some time with Bel because he's been so busy lately."

"But he works so hard, it would be good for him to have a break," Mukuro pointed out. "He's going to be really tired."

Dino hummed in agreement before he nodded, wanting to do the right thing by Belphegor, too; the boy had been very lonely without Squalo, so it would be nice for him to spend time with people he loved. "Alright, then. Bring him back tomorrow, though, okay? I'll go pack him a bag."

While Dino disappeared from the kitchen, Lussuria closed the distance between the three teenagers, Belphegor still curled up against his chest. He gave Fran a serious look, one that was still conveyed despite the thick sunglasses that hid his eyes from view.

"Fran, honey, you're going to have to start being more of a boyfriend now, okay?" Lussuria held a soft tone to his voice, a hint that he understood the confused look on the teal-haired male's face.

"What do you mean?"

And then, without even the slightest shame, Lussuria said, "Make sure you give him lots of orgasms because he keeps getting blue –"

Fran squeaked and slapped his hands over his ears, his breath hitching before sputtering, "-I don't want to hear this! Stop!"

Both Kyouya and Mukuro had frozen, the two shocked by what was being said; they were uncomfortable with this, and the skylark felt as if he could throw up at the mental images being shoved inside his head.

"But, honey, without your help, Squ-chan has no choice but to keep getting him off when it should really be up to you; Bel-chan is your boyfriend, correct~? And you know how used to sexual pleasure Bel-chan is; he could never go a day without masturbating lots, could he~?"

While Fran was left to stammer, caught off-guard by this conversation, Mukuro grabbed Kyouya's hand and tugged him from the room. "Let's go wait in the car, Kyouya… I am greatly uncomfortable here."

Kyouya couldn't help but hum in response, tense as he left the house in order to approach his uncle's car. "That herbivore doesn't seem to have anything but sex on his mind…"

Mukuro was silent for a few seconds before he nodded. "Yes, that is Lussuria for you… He meant well, though; he just did not go about it in the right manner…"

"I'll say…" Turning the ignition onto accessories, Kyouya fiddled with the radio as they waited for Belphegor and Fran to come out. "I felt violated just hearing him talk."

Mukuro chuckled as he nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly. "That is correct."

While the two didn't wait for long for the others to come out to the car, Kyouya couldn't help but yawn, deciding that when they got home, he would take a nap and then finish off his homework.

But, of course, when Mukuro asked if they could go out and get some lunch together after dropping Fran and Belphegor home, the skylark found himself obliging, deciding that as long as they could find somewhere quiet to eat together, lunch sounded like a welcoming change to his routine.

For reasons Kyouya couldn't quite comprehend, he found himself becoming closer to Mukuro with each passing day.


	21. Chapter 21

With eight years that had passed by, Kyouya had certainly had plenty of time to calm down. He was more relaxed and tolerated people easier, even if he still wouldn't let himself be crowded by people he didn't know. He was more open about what he was feeling, and he had stopped denying the fact that he had friends, spending more time than he used to with them.

Currently, Kyouya was sitting quietly on the couch in Tsuna's home, talking to Mukuro as he did his best to ignore the other people standing around the room; the brunet was hosting a party, and Kyouya had come only because he knew everyone who was invited.

"I was thinking of going back to Italy for a holiday." Mukuro sipped at his tea, his heterochromatic orbs peaceful. "Would you like to come with me, Kyouya?"

Thinking over the question, Kyouya let his eyes wander; Tsuna's friends were scattered all throughout the living room, the brunet in question standing by the kitchen doorway as he spoke to Fran and Belphegor, the three looking happy as Tsuna laughed at something the teal-haired male had said.

"He's looking better." Kyouya moved closer to whom he _knew _was his best friend.

"Who?" Knowing not to expect an answer to his question about Italy so soon, Mukuro instead went along with the change of topic.

"Your blond herbivore." The skylark blinked before he added, "The green one, too."

"Well, that is because Belphegor is learning to walk again and isn't as dependent on Squalo." Mukuro smiled. "And Fran is happy that Belphegor is becoming a little happier."

Kyouya hummed as he thought about these words, remembering how for years after the incident, Belphegor had just wanted to die; it was nice to see him with a small smile on his face as he leant heavily against a crutch with Fran's hand around his still-useless one.

Glancing down at his watch, Mukuro sighed. "We should not stay much longer, Kyouya; it is early in the morning and we are meant to be at work by seven."

"The Sawada herbivore already told me he doesn't care if we come in late," the older male said. "He understands if we sleep in."

Mukuro nodded, pleased by these words; he was happy that Tsuna had really made a name of himself and had been kind enough to give his friends positions at his company; he loved working for the younger male, unable to have asked for a better boss.

"Your blond herbivore is sore again."

Mukuro blinked at his friend's words, finding Tsuna and Fran supporting Belphegor as they helped the young man over to the couch to lay him down. The skylark moved over to make room, tensing uneasily as the blond laid his head on his lap, but he didn't say anything; he had learned to tolerate Belphegor and his lack of respect for others' personal space.

"Tuna-Fish is going to get you a heat pack for your side, senpai," Fran said softly as he knelt by the couch, as loyal as ever to his boyfriend. "It'll make you feel better."

Belphegor panted softly as he nodded, out of breath from dragging himself across the room. He was glad the others understood his condition and didn't judge him for it, already aware of how weak and pathetic he was for hardly being able to walk.

"I will call Squalo and he will come get you." Mukuro patted his friend's knee as he pulled his phone from his pocket, dialling the long-haired man's number. He felt bad for calling at three in the morning, but he also knew that Squalo would rather be woken up than leave his charge somewhere he was in pain.

Belphegor murmured something unintelligible as he nodded, burying his face in against Kyouya's stomach. He purred quietly when long fingers tentatively rubbed his head, knowing the skylark was trying to make him feel better.

Kyouya sat in silence as Mukuro and Fran conversed, Belphegor adding in low, slurred and sometimes indecipherable sentences that didn't always make sense as to what he was trying to say every now and then. He waited until Squalo arrived half-an-hour later, watching as the man slowly coaxed his charge onto his feet but ended up carrying him out of the house when Belphegor became too short of breath to make the rest of the journey himself, before he himself stood up and announced that he was going home.

Fran hugged the skylark tight before he wandered off further into the party to find Tsuna, but Mukuro was much more polite than his foster brother; while he gave the older male a hug as well, he also added, "Have a safe drive home, Kyouya. I will see you in the morning."

Kyouya nodded, patting the taller male on the shoulder. "Goodbye. Enjoy your night, herbivore."

Mukuro smiled as he made himself more comfortable on the couch, intending on finishing his tea before he mingled any further with the others. Kyouya left without farewelling his host, knowing that Mukuro would inform the brunet of his departure anyway.

Halfway to his car, Kyouya stopped and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He opened his messages and clicked Mukuro's contact, typing _I will come to Italy with you _before he turned his phone off and put it back in his pocket.

It wasn't often Kyouya stayed up so late, but it had been worth it tonight; he really _did _appreciate the people in his life.


End file.
